metallicity
The Large Magellanic Cloud Stole one of its Globular Clusters
Astronomers have known for years that galaxies are cannibalistic. Massive galaxies like our own Milky Way have gained mass by…
Why do Planetary Nebulae Look the Way They Do?
Planetary nebulae are the most beautiful objects in the night sky. Their gossamer shells of gas are otherworldly and evocative.…
Some of the Milky Way’s oldest stars aren’t where they’re expected to be
Some of the oldest stars in our galaxy have orbits similar to the Sun, and we don't know why
The Spherical Structure at the Core of the Milky Way Formed in a Single Burst of Star Formation
Like other spiral galaxies, the Milky Way has a bulging sphere of stars in its center. It's called "The Bulge,"…
Searching for Phosphorus in Other Stars
The Search for Life can be a lot messier than it sounds. The three words make a nice, tidy title,…
Here’s a New Planetary Nebula for Your Collection: CVMP 1
Some stars die a beautiful death, ejecting their outer layers of gas into space, then lighting it all up with…
A New Technique to Figure Out How Old Stars Are
Our understanding of the universe, and of the Milky Way, is built on an edifice of individual pieces of knowledge,…
Ancient Star Found that’s Only Slightly Younger than the Universe Itself
Thanks to a team from John Hopkins University, a star was recently discovered that is 13.5 billion years old, almost…
Where’s the Line Between Massive Planet and Brown Dwarf Star?
Astronomers have debated which objects are gas giants like Jupiter, and which are more correctly called brown dwarfs. A new…