361–380 of 471 results

Cosmology

Universe is Still Missing its Lithium

New observations of the Small Magellanic Cloud have only heightened the mystery surrounding a decades-long cosmic conundrum: why does the universe have so much less lithium than astronomers think it should?

chemical structure of glycolaldehyde

Stellar Science

Space a Little Sweeter

Astronomers have detected a simple sugar called glycolaldehyde in the gas around two young stars. The ALMA observations that led to the discovery are impressive, but don’t jump on the “life” bandwagon just yet.

Stellar Science

Black Holes Might Form Like Planets

Astronomers have plenty of evidence for small and large black holes, but have had little luck tracking down the mid-sized variety. One team of researchers suggests the search has been focused on the wrong places all along.

Stellar Science

Baby Star's Hot Birthmarks

Astronomers have pinpointed the origin of high-energy X-rays coming from a baby star.

Space Missions

Waves Might Heat Solar Atmosphere

Astronomers are working to unravel the mystery of the Sun's superhot corona, but new work implicating magnetic waves isn't the final word on the matter.

Cosmology

The Universe’s Lost Lithium

Astronomers are still struggling with a 30-year-old mystery that puts modern cosmology in a head-to-head clash with stellar observations. A new study may make the problem even worse.

Stellar Science

All-Sky Survey Sees Millions of Stars

A collaboration between professional and amateur astronomers is producing a careful map of stellar brightnesses and colors across the entire night sky. The survey should fill a hole that sometimes hampers quick, accurate measurements of events such as supernovae.

Exoplanets

Small Planets’ Evolutionary Edge

The discovery that planets can form around a variety of stars — and not just specific types, as previously thought — might open the floodgates on the search for habitable worlds in the galaxy.

Milky Way

Failed Stars Oddly Rare

Astronomers hunting for brown dwarfs in our solar neighborhood have been thrown a surprise: these star wannabes are far less common than previously thought.

Stellar Science

Pro-Am Teamwork on the Rise

As demonstrated this week during a gathering of observers in Big Bear, California, amateur and professional astronomers are joining forces as never before.

Stellar Science

Superflares from Sun-like Stars

NASA's Kepler mission is finding solar-type stars that emit jaw-dropping explosions of high-energy particles and radiation. Now astronomers are looking into why some solar-type stars emit superflares — and why the Sun never will.

Professional Telescopes

Europe's New Eye on the Sun

The just-completed Gregor telescope, situated on Tenerife in the Canary Islands, ranks as Europe's largest solar sentinel and the third largest in the world.

Stellar Science

IBEX's Slower Sun — and No Bow Shock

NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer has discovered that the Sun has no bow shock, overturning the basis for decades of scientific research.

Stellar Science

Black Hole Eats Stripped Star

A closely-watched flare from a gargantuan black hole in a distant galaxy has revealed to astronomers not only the mass of the black hole that ate the snack but the type of star that met its end as the meal.

Solar System

“Coronal Cells” in Sun’s Atmosphere

Astronomers have discovered an unexpected new feature on the Sun, leading to further insights about the solar magnetic field.

Stellar Science

Watch April 16th's Solar Flare!

The Sun erupted yesterday in a magnificent display, and more might be on its way.

Stellar Science

New ALMA Images Stoke Exoplanet Flame

Astronomers have released the first new science results from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), a still-under-construction network of 66 antennas in northern Chile. The new observations suggest the contentious Fomalhaut star system may have two small planets shepherding its gigantic ring.

Space Missions

Kepler Mission Gets Four More Years

NASA's incredibly successful planet-hunter has had its mission extended to 2016 — giving it extra time to find Earthlike worlds in Earthlike orbits.

Professional Telescopes

Twin-Eyed Telescope Sees Sharp Stars

The Large Binocular Telescope has opened one of its new eyes on the sky, revealing exoplanets and stars with a precision that rivals the best ground-based observatories astronomers have.

Stellar Science

New Fuel for Type Ia Supernova Debate

The origin of the stellar explosions known as Type Ia supernovae has been a topic of hot debate for decades. A new study adds fuel to the fire.