Shannon Hall
Amazing New X-Ray Image of the Whirlpool Galaxy Shows it is Dotted with Black Holes
In any galaxy there are hundreds of X-ray binaries: systems consisting of a black hole capturing and heating material from…
The New and Improved Hubble Ultra Deep Field
It’s perhaps one of the most famous images in astronomy. The Hubble Ultra Deep Field displays nearly 10,000 galaxies across…
President Obama Unveils a New Carbon Plan
At the end of his first year in office, President Obama made a bold promise: the United States would cut…
Surprise! Fireballs Light up the Radio Sky, Hinting at Unexplored Physics
At any given moment, it seems, the sky is sizzling with celestial phenomena waiting to be stumbled upon. New research…
Want to Measure the Distance to the Moon Yourself? Now You Can!
Astronomy is a discipline pursued at a distance. And yet, actually measuring that last word — distance — can be…
Gas Cloud Survives Collision With Milky Way
A high-velocity cloud hurtling toward the Milky Way should have disintegrated long ago when it first collided with and passed…
Largest Crater Spotted on Mars Using Before-and-After Pictures
When it comes to the Universe, things often go bump in the night. But whether two galaxies collide, a star…
“With a Little Help From Their Friends,” Magnetars Form in Binary Systems, New Study Suggests
Astronomy is a discipline of extremes. We’re constantly searching for the most powerful, the most explosive, and the most energetic…
Physicists Pave the Way to Turn Light into Matter
E = mc². It’s one of the most basic and fundamental equations throughout astrophysics. But it does more than suggest…
Surprise Gamma-Ray Burst Behaves Differently Than Expected
Roughly once a day the sky is lit up by a mysterious torrent of energy. These events — known as gamma-ray…