121–140 of 151 results

Stellar Science

Black Hole Shoots Bullets

Observations of a black hole that spat out twin blobs of superhot material may help astronomers understand how the mysterious beasts create powerful jets that shoot out from their poles. The blobs appeared just as the system went quiet in X-rays.

Black Holes

Black Hole Breakfast En Route

Astronomers have discovered a dusty, stretched-out cloud heading for the supermassive black hole lurking in the Milky Way's core. The blob could be the meal the beast needs to wake up for a bit from its slumber, if the cloud survives its incoming trip on the dining cart.

Stellar Science

Another Origin for Cosmic Rays

Recent gamma-ray observations support the longstanding theory that superspeedy particles called cosmic rays have their origin in the havoc-ridden regions around young star clusters.

Cosmology

Cygnus X-1, Exactly

Astronomers have pinned down the distance, mass, and spin rate for the first black hole candidate discovered, information that points to a birth sans supernova.

Stellar Science

"Blue Stragglers" Renewed by Stealing

Some deceptively youthful stars may find their fountains of youth in material they grab off other stars.

Milky Way

Amateur Discovers A Planetary Nebula

Austrian amateur Matthias Kronberger has found a planetary nebula near the northern constellation of Cygnus, the Swan. His discovery might help scientists understand the role of stellar companions in the formation of these glowing gas clouds.

Milky Way

Neutron Star Gobbles Gas, Burps X-rays

Astronomers have observed a neutron star flaring to 10,000 times its original brightness.

Milky Way

Oddball Stars in the Milky Way's Heart

The first blue stragglers identified in the Milky Way’s bulge pose a question: why do they look so young?

Astronomy and Society

A Milky Way Masterpiece

Using a deceptively simple setup, Randy Halverson has captured the galaxy's motion across his South Dakota farm with breathtaking beauty and realism.

Milky Way

The Milky Way's New Arm

Astronomers have struggled for decades to discern our galaxy's true shape. But they're slowly getting the picture, thanks to the discovery of a long arm that traces the grand spiral to its outer limits.

Exoplanets

Do Planets Outnumber Stars?

Just-released observations suggest that the Milky Way could teem with hundreds of billions of free-floating planets.

Milky Way

A Runaway Star with a Story To Tell

Now streaking away in the Milky Way's outermost halo, HE 0437-5439 had a very close run-in with the galaxy's central black hole. And that was just the beginning.

Milky Way

The Milky Way's Killer Instincts

Don't let its graceful spiral form fool you: our home galaxy is a cannibal. It's long been accused of having gobbled up smaller dwarf galaxies in its vicinity — and two new observations make an ironclad case for the prosecution.

Milky Way

Supernovae: Cosmic-Ray Superfactories

Now we know for sure. The cosmic-ray particles that bombard Earth from deep space originate in very exotic places: the shock waves in supernova remnants.

Milky Way

The Lost Siblings of the Sun

The Sun and solar system formed 4.6 billion years ago amid a rich cluster of other newborn stars. Where are they now?

Milky Way

Milky Way Doubles Its Mass

Our Milky Way Galaxy rotates 15 percent faster and is twice as massive as formerly believed — making it an equal match for the Great Andromeda Galaxy rather than its little brother.

Milky Way

Milky Way's Central Monster Measured

Astronomers have refined the mass of the Milky Way's central black hole by tracking the orbits of several stars whizzing around it. The job hasn't been easy.

Stellar Science

Eta Carinae Prepares for X-ray Crash

Known for its mysteriousness, one of the galaxy's most massive stars gears up for its periodic pundit-perplexing event. Will Eta Carinae finally reveal its secrets?

Stellar Science

The Most Massive Star Yet?

Searching the core of one of the densest young star clusters in the Milky Way, scientists may have beat out primetime TV in the search for the newest big star.

Milky Way

The Milky Way Remapped

Two new sky surveys shed light on the structure of our home galaxy.

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