SUNSET: 
Interstellar: Science Fiction or Science Fantasy?
On the much anticipated opening weekend of Interstellar, senior contributing editor Bob Naeye reviews the movie's facts and foibles.
G2 Object Survives Black Hole Pass in Milky Way Center
The gaseous object G2 has survived its swing around the Milky Way’s central supermassive black hole, but the questions of what it is and where it comes from remain unanswered.
No Big Black Hole for Two ULXs
Two new studies suggest that ultraluminous X-ray sources are not all created by beefy black holes.
Small Galaxy Boasts Big Black Hole
Astronomers have detected a supermassive black hole in the center of a tiny galaxy — where it has no right to be.
The Quasar Main Sequence
A new diagram might link the diverse visible-light characteristics of quasars to two physical properties — essentially, their accretion rate and orientation. If the analysis holds up, it could point the way toward a long-sought unification.
Distant Black Hole’s Spin Clocked
A new measurement could be the farthest back in time astronomers have ever reached when measuring a black hole’s spin.
Black Hole Trio Questioned
New data shed light on last month’s exciting discovery of a black hole triplet — but they suggest instead that the threesome is really just a twosome.
Gas Streamer Eclipses AGN
Astronomers have detected a high-speed, long-lasting gas streamer spewing from the active galactic nucleus of NGC 5548. This discovery might provide new insights into how supermassive black holes influence their host galaxies.
Black Hole Trio Found
Astronomers have discovered that one member of a pair of supermassive black holes is actually a pair itself, turning the system into the most distant black hole triplet yet detected and raising hopes for future discoveries.
A MAD New Way to Make Black Hole Jets
Newly published observations provide the first real evidence supporting a theory that tells us how black hole jets form.
Peering Into Black Holes' Pasts
Galaxies’ central black holes are surprisingly simple creatures at heart, but they have a complicated past. New studies are starting to remove history’s obfuscating veil.
Black Holes Tango in Distant Galaxy
A bizarre X-ray flare first spotted in 2010 could be a signal from two black holes that will ultimately unite into a single beast.
A New Galactic Yardstick
Astronomers have developed a new method to measure distances to bright but faraway galaxies, a tool which will help better constrain the expansion rate of the universe.
Dust in the Heart of Circinus
Infrared observations of the Circinus Galaxy may help reveal the shape of the dusty region fueling its active galactic nucleus and shed light on what governs dust structures in other galaxies.
Black Hole Spins Super Fast
X-ray observations and cosmic coincidence unveil the details of a distant supermassive black hole. The result could be a first step in expanding our understanding of how black holes have beefed themselves up over the last several billion years.
Black Hole Ate Too Much
A stellar-mass black hole in the iconic galaxy M83 seems to have kept eating long after it should have stopped. If true, the discovery could have implications for how much black holes can affect their environments.
Galactic Runts Carry Beefy Black Holes
Astronomers have found supermassive black holes in 151 dwarf galaxies, surprising expectations and providing a time machine into black hole formation.
A Double Black Hole?
Strange emission from a distant galaxy paints an enigmatic picture of what’s happening inside its core. One solution: instead of one supermassive black hole, the galaxy hosts two trapped in a tight dance around each other.
Downsizing a Black Hole
Astronomers have revealed a supposedly monster black hole to be rather ordinary in size.
Monster Burst Challenges Theories
Observations of one of the most powerful supernovas ever recorded suggest that the standard model for gamma-ray bursts might be missing a piece of the puzzle.
