
Astronomy in Pictures: Unraveling Galaxies and Clyde's Spot
This week in astronomy pictures: Peer into our galaxy's busy core, watch Clyde's Spot unravel at Jupiter, and see a stunning Hubble photo of a lopsided galaxy.

Jumping the Gap to Probe Large Black Holes
Gravitational-wave detectors should be able to locate a population of huge black holes soon. A new study predicts when we'll find them, and what they'll teach us.

Is the “Unicorn” the Closest Black Hole?
Astronomers again think they have found the black hole nearest to us, just 1,500 light-years away, but the find still needs to be confirmed.

Redefining a Heavy Collision
Could the biggest — literally — gravitational-wave discovery yet be something other than what it initially seemed?

Flares from the Milky Way’s Supermassive Black Hole
The supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way released an unusual number of strong flares in 2019. Now, astronomers are trying to figure out why.

The Black Hole Files with Camille Carlisle
Astronomers Detect Strong Magnetic Fields Around M87’s Black Hole
Event Horizon Telescope data support the idea that magnetic fields control how black holes feed and grow.

A Supermassive Black Hole on the Move
This supermassive black hole is restless, and astronomers want to know why.

Star-shredding Black Hole Makes Ghostlike Particle
A single high-energy neutrino may shed light on a star being swallowed by a supermassive black hole some 690 million light-years away.

First-detected Black Hole is More Massive Than We Thought
A higher mass for Cygnus X-1, the first black hole to be discovered, challenges ideas about the evolution of massive stars.

Astronomy News: Galactic One-Two Punch, Black Hole Heartbeat Falters
In the news this week: Globular clusters have the detailed scoop on our galaxy's past, and a "heartbeat" black hole binary in the Milky Way has gone mysteriously dim.

What the Most Distant Quasar Tells Us About Black Hole Birth
The existence of a quasar when the universe was only 670 million years old is helping astronomers understand how black holes are born.

Black Hole Feasts on Star, Bite by Bite
Like a cosmic blinker, a distant supermassive black hole is flaring every 114 days. Astronomers believe the eerily regular signal betrays the piecemeal devouring of a star.

Pulsars Show Hint of Gravitational-wave Background
Duos of supermassive black holes tangoing throughout the universe make their own music, and astronomers may have picked up a hint of the tune.

The Black Hole Files with Camille Carlisle
Survey Finds Newborn Black Hole Jets in Distant Galaxies
Astronomers have spotted a surprising number of quasars with jets launched within a couple of decades.

Big Black Holes Dominate New Gravitational-Wave Catalog
Gravitational-wave scientists have unveiled their latest catalog of events, revealing a surprising number of massive black holes.

Casting Doubt on a Nearby Black Hole
New research has shown that the recently-discovered closest black hole to Earth might not be a black hole after all but a binary star.

Black Hole Scientists Win 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics
This year’s award goes to three researchers who played key roles in developing the theoretical and observational evidence for black holes.

Record-breaking Signal Reveals New Population of Black Holes
Gravitational-wave observatories have detected the most massive black hole merger yet, and it's challenging our ideas of black hole formation.

The Black Hole Files with Camille Carlisle
Black Hole Collision May Have Caused Burst of Light
Astronomers think they’ve detected a flash created by the merger of two black holes.

The Black Hole Files with Camille Carlisle
Gravitational Wave Detectors Find Mystery “Mass Gap” Object
Astronomers have caught a black hole colliding with a mysterious companion that might be either one of the most massive neutron stars or the smallest black hole ever detected.