Astronomy
A Black Hole Has Cleared Out Its Neighbourhood
We can't see them directly, but we know they're there. Supermassive black holes (SMBHs) likely dwell at the center of…
The JWST Discovers a Galaxy That Shouldn’t Exist
Astronomers working with the JWST found a dwarf galaxy they weren't looking for. It's about 98 million years away, has…
Astronomers are Getting Really Good at Weighing Baby Supermassive Black Holes
In the 1970s, astronomers deduced that the persistent radio source coming from the center of our galaxy was actually a…
Half the Entire Sky, Seen in X-Rays
There's an old trope in science fiction about someone suddenly getting X-ray vision and looking through solid objects. It turns…
Space Junk is Going to be a Problem for Vera Rubin
The Vera Rubin Observatory (VRO) is different than other large telescopes, and that difference makes it more vulnerable to space…
Giant Star Seen 150 Days Before it Exploded as a Supernova
Supernovae are relatively rare. It might not seem like it, but that's because they're so bright we can see them…
Six Planets Found Orbiting an Extremely Young Star
The field of exoplanet study continues to grow by leaps and bounds. As of the penning of this article, 5,572…
Betelgeuse. Before, During and After the Great Dimming
When a prominent star in the night sky suddenly dims, it generates a lot of interest. That's what happened with…
The Aftermath of a Recent Galactic Merger
NGC 4753 is a prime example of what happens after a galactic merger. It looks like a twisted mess, with…
The Seeming Impossibility of Life
The number of near misses, false starts, and legitimate disasters that have befallen our species since the day we took…