Tag: Astrophysics
Egg-shaped galaxies may be aligned to the black holes at their hearts, astronomers find
New analysis of radio telescope data links the shape of galaxies to the supermassive black holes they host.
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.
Watch a star get destroyed by a supermassive black hole in the first simulation of its kind
If a star gets too close to a black hole, it gets shredded and produces a complex ball of light. These videos are the first time this dramatic event has been simulated in detail.
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.
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.
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.
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.
In 5 years, this Australian astrophysics lab reached 50% women. Here’s how they did it
With an evidence-based strategy and careful evaluation, gender parity in science is achievable.
Curious Kids: how do black holes pull in light?
Black holes are known for pulling in all kinds of stuff – including light. Here’s how that actually works.