Tag: Astronomy
New measurements reveal the enormous halos that shroud all galaxies in the universe
Today we’re able to finally reveal the first detailed picture of the gas shroud around a galaxy, extending 100,000 light years out into ‘empty’ space.
Supermoons are boring – here are 5 things in the sky worth your time
What’s so special about a supermoon? Hardly anything. There are better things to observe in the night sky, according to a professional astronomer.
What happens when matter is squashed to the brink of collapse? We weighed a neutron star to help NASA find out
Neutron stars contain some of the universe’s most exotic states of matter – but there’s no easy way to peek inside.
Look up! A once-in-a-lifetime explosion is about to create a ‘new’ star in the sky
Astronomers and stargazers around the world are excited to witness a rare event that only happens once every 80 years – a recurrent nova.
We mapped a massive explosion in space, showing how galaxies ‘pollute’ the cosmos
When astronomers focused on the galaxy NGC 4383, they didn’t expect the data to be so spectacular. This is the first detailed map of gas flowing from this galaxy as stars burst within.
We saw one of the most powerful magnets in the Universe come to life – and our theories can’t quite explain it
Astronomers caught the bizarre ‘awakening’ of an incredibly rare magnetic star.
Earth, the Sun and a bike wheel: why your high-school textbook was wrong about the shape of Earth’s orbit
Textbooks often show Earth’s orbit around the Sun as an almost egg-shaped ellipse. The real story is very different.
Planet cannibalism is common, says cosmic ‘twin study’
The largest study yet of ‘twin stars’ shows planetary orbits may be less stable than we thought.
New evidence for an unexpected player in Earth’s multimillion-year climate cycles: the planet Mars
Deep-sea sediments show how the changing orbits of Earth and Mars are linked to past global warming and the speeding up of deep-ocean eddies.
What ended the ‘dark ages’ in the early universe? New Webb data just brought us closer to solving the mystery
With the help of a magnifying glass 4 million lightyears wide, astronomers may have solved the riddle of what burned away the hydrogen fog that pervaded the early universe.
The brightest object in the universe is a black hole that eats a star a day
The black hole J0529-4351 is 500 trillion times brighter than the Sun.
NASA is looking for commercial Mars missions. Do people still want to go to Mars?
Mars has been a popular destination since space exploration began – and there are plenty of people who’d love to go there.
Why is the universe ripping itself apart? A new study of exploding stars shows dark energy may be more complicated than we thought
After a decade studying thousands of supernovae, astronomers are still perplexed by the enigma that led Einstein to his ‘greatest mistake’.
The strange story of the grave of Copernicus
A team of archaeologists discovered the remains of the 16th-century father of modern astronomy, who demonstrated that the Earth orbits the Sun.
Meteors, supermoons, a comet and more: your guide to the southern sky in 2024
In 2024 we will see meteor showers, Saturn disappearing behind the Moon, and – if we’re lucky – a comet bright enough to see with the naked eye.