Stellar Evolution
Main Sequence and White Dwarf Binaries are Hiding in Plain Sight
Some binary stars are unusual. They contain a main sequence star like our Sun, while the other is a "dead"…
Giant Cluster is Spitting Out Massive Stars
We live inside the Milky Way galaxy which is joined as it drifts through space by two satellite galaxies, the…
The Open Star Cluster Westerlund 1, Seen by Webb
A long time ago, the Milky Way Galaxy was busy being a prodigious star-formation engine. In those times, it turned…
Is Betelgeuse Actually a Binary Star?
Betel-gurz or Beetle-juice has been a favourite among amateur astronomers for many years. However you pronounce it, its unexpected dimming…
Stars Can Survive Their Partner Detonating as a Supernova
When a massive star dies in a supernova explosion, it's not great news for any planets or stars that happen…
Hubble Sees a Brand New Triple Star System
In a world that seems to be switching focus from the Hubble Space Telescope to the James Webb Space Telescope,…
Two Stars in a Binary System are Very Different. It's Because There Used to be Three
A beautiful nebula in the southern hemisphere with a binary star at it's center seems to break our standard models…
Baby Stars Discharge “Sneezes” of Gas and Dust
I’m really not sure what to call it but a ‘dusty sneeze’ is probably as good as anything. We have…
Astronomers See 18 Examples of Stars Getting Torn Apart by Black Holes
Black holes have always held a special fascination for me ever since I was a geeky kid looking up at…
Is this the Lightest Black Hole or Heaviest Neutron Star?
About 40,000 light-years away, a rapidly spinning object has a companion that's confounding astronomers. It's heavier than the heaviest neutron…