SUNSET: 
The Chaotic Music of Variable Stars
Space-based observations of RR Lyrae variable stars, once considered the paragon of simplicity, are revealing turmoil in their daily vibrations.
Ring Around the Dust Disk
Dusty disks that encircle young stars sometimes host giant gaps. But a new study shows these gaps aren't necessarily the signature of a nearby planet.
Taming the "Zoo" of Neutron Stars
These stellar corpses have many faces, from pulsars to magnetars. New models provide evidence for unifying these disparate objects under one theory.
Mystery Signals from Space
Four powerful radio bursts have left astronomers scratching their heads. The bursts appear to come from several billion light-years away and could provide a whole new look at the universe — but observers aren't sure what they are.
Stars Spinning Beats
A phenomenon you usually hear can now be seen in stars' rotation, and it may help untangle the mysteries of their magnetic fields.
Now Playing: Core Collapse in 3D
Scientists have made the most realistic simulations yet of the violent collapse of dying massive stars in three dimensions.
Sneaky Star Dating
How old are the Sun's stellar neighbors? An inventive approach suggests that the birth rate for the nearest stars has had two peaks instead of one — meaning two distinct generations are mixing in the neighborhood.
Universe's Lithium Problem A Bit Better
Studies of primitive stars suggest the universe has far too little of one form of lithium and far too much of another. But new work shows that the second problem might be nonexistent.
Surprise Variable Stars
Astronomers have discovered an unexpected class of variable stars in the open cluster NGC 3766. The stars are problematic for current theories of star behavior and raise perplexing questions about why the stars are variable at all.
Was our Sun a Feisty Toddler?
Detailed observations of a young, nearby star are giving astronomers a chance to glimpse the Sun’s active youth.
How to Toast a Planet
A new study suggests that close-in gas giants may heat up electrically like toaster coils plugged in to their host stars via the power lines of the stellar wind — explaning why the planets inflate.
Chance to Catch Closest Exoplanet?
In 2014 and 2016, Proxima Centauri will pass in front of two distant stars, potentially revealing details about itself and whether it hosts any planets in the process.
Weird Glitch in a Cosmic Clock
The sudden slowing of pulses coming from a spinning neutron star defy explanation — and might require a rethink of the universe’s most exotic denizens.
Amateurs Monitor Controversial Variable Star
SS Cygni, one of the most-watched variable stars, lies at a distance that’s hotly disputed. The truth will determine whether we understand how these types of variables work.
Digitizing Harvard’s Century of Sky
Harvard College Observatory is digitizing its famed collection of more than 500,000 glass sky-survey plates and has just released the first data set.
Brilliant GRB Blast with an Amateur Twist
An exceptionally powerful gamma-ray burst on April 27th wowed astronomers around the world — and its fading was tracked by an alert backyard observer.
Weighing in on Einstein's Gravity
A massive neutron star and its lightweight sidekick provide a unique space laboratory to test general relativity. So far, gravity keeps behaving as it's supposed to.
When Supergiants Explode
Astronomers have announced a new class of gamma-ray bursts, possibly created when some of the biggest stars in the universe go supernova.
The Most Distant Star Ever Seen?
Astronomers have detected what might be the farthest star ever spectroscopically observed. The bright object blazes in an unusual location, too, perhaps giving insight into star formation in unconventional environments.
Aging Telescope Finds Baby Stars
The Herschel Space Telescope, now approaching its final days, has helped astronomers spot one of the earliest stages of star formation.
