metallicity

Fluffy Molecular Clouds Formed Stars in the Early UniverseFluffy Molecular Clouds Formed Stars in the Early Universe

Fluffy Molecular Clouds Formed Stars in the Early Universe

Stars form in Giant Molecular Clouds (GMCs), vast clouds of mostly hydrogen that can span tens of light years. These…

1 day ago
Planet Formation Favors the Metal-Rich Inner Milky WayPlanet Formation Favors the Metal-Rich Inner Milky Way

Planet Formation Favors the Metal-Rich Inner Milky Way

Exoplanets have captured the imagination of public and scientists alike and, as the search continues for more, researchers have turned…

4 weeks ago
Habitable Worlds Could Have Formed Before the First GalaxiesHabitable Worlds Could Have Formed Before the First Galaxies

Habitable Worlds Could Have Formed Before the First Galaxies

What came first, galaxies or planets? The answer has always been galaxies, but new research is changing that idea. Could…

1 month ago
Up to a Third of Stars Ate Some of their PlanetsUp to a Third of Stars Ate Some of their Planets

Up to a Third of Stars Ate Some of their Planets

In recent years, astronomers have developed techniques to measure the metal content of stars with extreme accuracy. With that capability,…

3 months ago
Webb Reveals a Steam World Planet Orbiting a Red DwarfWebb Reveals a Steam World Planet Orbiting a Red Dwarf

Webb Reveals a Steam World Planet Orbiting a Red Dwarf

The JWST has found an exoplanet unlike any other. This unique world has an atmosphere almost entirely composed of water…

4 months ago
A Star Was Kicked Out of a Globular Cluster by an Intermediate-Mass Black HoleA Star Was Kicked Out of a Globular Cluster by an Intermediate-Mass Black Hole

A Star Was Kicked Out of a Globular Cluster by an Intermediate-Mass Black Hole

Astronomers have solid evidence for the existence of stellar-mass black holes and supermassive black holes. However, evidence for Intermediate Black…

5 months ago
Binary Stars Form in the Same Nebula But Aren’t Identical. Now We Know Why.Binary Stars Form in the Same Nebula But Aren’t Identical. Now We Know Why.

Binary Stars Form in the Same Nebula But Aren’t Identical. Now We Know Why.

It stands to reason that stars formed from the same cloud of material will have the same metallicity. That fact…

10 months ago
Astronomers Think They’ve Found Examples of the First Stars in the UniverseAstronomers Think They’ve Found Examples of the First Stars in the Universe

Astronomers Think They’ve Found Examples of the First Stars in the Universe

When the first stars in the Universe formed, the only material available was primordial hydrogen and helium from the Big…

10 months ago
The Milky Way’s Most Massive Stellar Black Hole is Only 2,000 Light Years AwayThe Milky Way’s Most Massive Stellar Black Hole is Only 2,000 Light Years Away

The Milky Way’s Most Massive Stellar Black Hole is Only 2,000 Light Years Away

Astronomers have found the largest stellar mass black hole in the Milky Way so far. At 33 solar masses, it…

10 months ago
The Brightest Gamma Ray Burst Ever Seen Came from a Collapsing StarThe Brightest Gamma Ray Burst Ever Seen Came from a Collapsing Star

The Brightest Gamma Ray Burst Ever Seen Came from a Collapsing Star

After a journey lasting about two billion years, photons from an extremely energetic gamma-ray burst (GRB) struck the sensors on…

11 months ago