X-Ray Astronomy
Chandra’s Verdict on the Demise of a Star: “Death by Black Hole”
This week, astronomers announced the detection of a rare event, a star being torn to shreds by a massive black…
Rare White Dwarf Systems Do A Doubletake
For those of us who remain forever fascinated by astronomy, nothing could spark our imaginations more than a cosmic curiosity.…
‘Light Echos’ Reveal Old, Bright Outbursts Near Milky Way’s Black Hole
How's that for a beacon? NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has tracked down evidence of at least a couple of past…
This Neutron Star Behaves Just Like The Hulk
When Bruce Banner gets angry, he gets big and green and strong and well, vengeful. The Hulk is the stuff…
Our Galaxy’s Supermassive Black Hole is a Sloppy Eater
Like most galaxies, our Milky Way has a dark monster in its middle: an enormous black hole with the mass…
“Blue” Exoplanet Now Seen in X-rays for the First Time
In the medical field, X-rays are used for finding and diagnosing all sorts of ailments hidden inside the body; in…
Black Holes Can Get Really Big, And We Have No Idea Why
Right now, as you read this article, it's quite possible that the ultra-huge black hole at the center of our…
NGC 6240: Gigantic Hot Gas Cloud Sheaths Colliding Galaxies
Looking almost like a cosmic hyacinth, this image is anything but a cool, Spring flower... it's a portrait of an…
Black Holes, Fermi Bubbles and the Milky Way
Deep at the heart of our galaxy lurks a black hole. This isn't exciting news, but neither is it a…
NuSTAR Puts New Spin On Supermassive Black Holes
Checking out the spin rate on a supermassive black hole is a great way for astronomers to test Einstein's theory…