Astronomy
What Makes the Biggest Impact on Galactic Evolution?
Astronomers assume that the galaxies we see today are the result of billions of years of evolution. Collision after collision…
Supermassive Black Hole Mashes Up and Consumes a Star
A supermassive black hole in a distant galaxy has been caught in the act of consuming a star. In fact,…
First Negatively Charged Space Molecules Discovered
Until now, all the molecules discovered in space were either neutral or positive in charge. But astronomers have turned up…
The Great Observatories View Supernova Remnant N49
Hubble, Chandra, and Spitzer - NASA's three Great Observatories - teamed up to create this beautiful photograph of supernova remnant…
Measuring the Shape of Supernove Explosions
Type 1a supernovae are used to measure distance in the Universe because they explode with the same brightness, detonating when…
Searching for Dark Matter Particles Here on Earth
Astronomers don't know what dark matter is, but they do know it takes up approximately 25% of the Universe. We…
Set Your Clock with Gamma Rays
Astronomers have discovered a gamma ray source in the sky that acts like a natural clock. The object is called…
Starburst Galaxy NGC 1313
This is an image of galaxy NGC 1313, taken with the FORS instrument at the ESO's Very Large Telescope. It's…
Double Supernovae in a Distant Galaxy
NASA's Swift satellite has found a galaxy positively popping with supernovae. NGC 1316 has had two supernovae go off in…
Back to Venus with Vesper
While Venus is the same size as our Earth, its hellish surface environment makes it inhospitable to life. What went…