Stars
Giant Stars and the Ultimate Fate of the Sun
Astronomers have a new tool to help them understand giant stars. It's a detailed study of the precise temperatures and…
New Hubble Image Shows Dark Cocoons Where New Stars are Forming
Star formation is a complex process. But in simple terms, a star forms due to clumps and instabilities in a…
What’s Snuffing Out Galaxies Before Their Time?
In the Milky Way, the formation rate of stars is about one solar mass every year. About 10 billion years…
Hubble Reveals the Final Stages of a Dying Star
In April 2021 Hubble released its 31st-anniversary image. It's a portrait of AG Carinae, one of the most luminous stars…
Astronomers Discover an Intermediate-Mass Black Hole as it Destroys a Star
Supermassive black holes (SMBH) reside in the center of galaxies like the Milky Way. They are mind-bogglingly massive, ranging from…
Betelgeuse's Mysterious Dimming Solved. It was… Dust
Astronomers have solved the mystery of dim Betelgeuse, and discovered how stardust can form.
Massive Stars Mix Hydrogen in Their Cores, Causing Them to Pulse Every few Hours or Days
Blue giant stars have a convective core that allows them to shine much longer.
Older Stars Rotate Faster Than Expected
Older stars should slow down, but new observations reveal that they have just as much of a spring in their…
Newly Forming Stars Don’t Blast Away Material as Previously Believed. So Why Do They Stop Growing?
We thought we understood how stars are formed. It turns out, we don't. Not completely, anyway. A new study, recently…
VY Canis Majoris is “Like Betelgeuse on Steroids”
The disappearance of a star can take many forms. It could go supernova. It could turn into a black hole. …