SUNSET: 
Our Unexpectedly Smooth Universe May Point to New Physics
The latest data release from a survey of 31 million galaxies reveals that our universe is even smoother than we thought it was.
Magnetism Rules in the Milky Way’s Core
Recent observations from the airborne SOFIA observatory show that magnetic fields — not gravity — govern the gas at the center of the Milky Way.
Two New Beasts for an Explosive Zoo
And that makes three: Astronomers are beginning to understand what may be causing a special kind of flare in the distant universe.
Astronomers Investigate Stellar Interiors
Astronomers have untangled the constantly changing brightness of variable stars known as Delta Scuti stars, yielding estimates for their ages.
How Lazy Is the Sun?
Astronomers studying hundreds of Sun-like stars were surprised to find that most of them are more active than the Sun. Why is the Sun different?
Astronomers Detect One of the Most Luminous Supernovae Ever
One of the most luminous supernovae ever discovered provides evidence that such extremely bright explosions require exotic sources.
The Knife Edge Galaxy Throws Astronomers For a Loop
A 2008 image captured a stunning double loop of stars around an edge-on galaxy. Now, astronomers are questioning whether one of those loops exist.
White Dwarf’s Whirlwind Spin Drags Spacetime
Astronomers have used observations of a tight white dwarf-neutron star pair to confirm an aspect of Einstein's general theory of relativity.
Hubble Sheds Light on Dark Matter and Cosmic Expansion
The Hubble Space Telescope, which will celebrate its 30th birthday this April, has images cosmic mirages that yield two remarkable cosmological results.
Mark Your Calendar: Stellar Fireworks Predicted for 2083
According to Bradley Schaefer (Louisiana State University), the 11th-magnitude variable star, V Sagittae, will outshine Sirius and maybe even Venus — despite its distance of some 7,500 light-years.
European Mission Launches to Examine Alien Worlds
The European Cheops mission launched Wednesday on a mission to improve our understanding of hundreds of known exoplanets.
How a White Dwarf Is Vaporizing Its Giant Planet
Astronomers have long suspected that white dwarfs eat their planetary companions. Now, indirect observations show the process in action.
Heavyweight Black Hole Find Mystifies Astronomers
Observations of a star have found it orbiting an unexpectedly massive black hole. If the discovery pans out, it would change our understanding of how massive stars die.
Planet WASP-12b Might Be on a Death Spiral into its Parent Star
A mere 3 million years from now — a cosmic eye-blink away — the star WASP 12 might consume its exoplanet WASP-12b.
Have Astronomers Detected Exomoons At Last?
Have astronomers detected two giant exomoons? The answer depends on how convincing you deem newly presented results — and how you define a moon.
Radio Survey Maps Hundreds of Thousands of New Galaxies
The LOFAR survey, based in The Netherlands, has released a bonanza of new sources. And with only 2% of the sky covered so far, this is only the beginning.
Gravitational-Wave Observatories Bag Four Black-Hole Collisions
A re-analysis of data from LIGO and Virgo brings the number of gravitational-wave detections to 11, including the most distant and most powerful black-hole merger yet discovered.
“Fast Supernovae” Begin to Reveal Their Secrets
Astronomers have discovered 72 fast and furious explosions, possibly supernovae blasts cloaked in cocoons of ejected gas.
Primordial Chill Hints at Dark Matter Interactions in Early Universe
A simple experiment has detected a signal from the first stars forming just 180 million years after the Big Bang. The observations have intriguing implications for the nature of dark matter.
Orderly Dwarf Galaxies Challenge Cosmological Wisdom
Most of the dwarf galaxies around Centaurus A appear to be orbiting the giant galaxy along a single plane — a result not predicted by current cosmological models.
