James Webb Space Telescope spies earliest complex organic molecules in the universe By Charles Q. Choi published 5 June 23 Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have detected the oldest known examples of complex organic molecules in the universe, a new study reports.
How long will the new supernova visible in the night sky last? By Nola Taylor Tillman published 5 June 23 A new supernova that burst into the night sky in May 2023 should remain visible in the Pinwheel Galaxy for some time, astronomers say.
Mysterious cosmic threads are reaching out from the Milky Way's monster black hole By Keith Cooper published 2 June 23 Hundreds of lines made from a multitude of gases have been discovered extending outward from the black hole at the center of our galaxy.
Odd supergiant star Betelgeuse is brightening up. Is it about to go supernova? By Tereza Pultarova published 1 June 23 One of the brightest stars in the night sky has been getting oddly brighter, prompting speculations that it might soon explode in a supernova. Can we really expect that celestial spectacle?
Hubble telescope captures starry tentacles of faraway 'jellyfish galaxy' in stunning detail (photo) By Sharmila Kuthunur published 1 June 23 NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has snapped a stunning image of a jellyfish galaxy, whose cosmic tentacles host massive amounts of star formation.
Infant stars burst out of their cosmic cribs in a violent stellar nursery (photo) By Robert Lea published 31 May 23 The two protesters burst from their cocoons of gas and dust in Lupus 3, a vast stellar nursery located about 500 light-years from Earth.
How to see the new supernova in the Pinwheel Galaxy By Brett Tingley published 26 May 23 A star in the Pinwheel Galaxy has exploded into a new supernova that was confirmed just last week. Here's how to see it for yourself in the night sky.
This new supernova, the brightest in years, could help astronomers forecast future star explosions By Tereza Pultarova published 26 May 23 The close proximity of supernova 2023ifx and the amount of observations gathered since its discovery may lead to major advances in stellar death forecasting.
Milky Way's cosmic neighbors help bring ancient galaxies into focus By Robert Lea published 25 May 23 Astronomers are snooping on the Milky Way's galactic neighbors to gain insights about the ancient galaxies being viewed by the James Webb Space Telescope.
New supernova thrills astronomers and skywatchers around the world (photos) By Elizabeth Howell published 25 May 23 A star explosion in deep space is visible in amateur telescopes, although folks have had to battle low lighting conditions, haze and the occasional satellite trail to see it in action.
Strange star system may hold first evidence of an ultra-rare 'dark matter star' By Paul Sutter published 25 May 23 In a distant star system, a sunlike star orbits an invisible object that may be the first example of a 'boson star' made of dark matter, new research suggests.
Watch a new supernova explode on May 26 with free telescope livestream By Robert Lea last updated 26 May 23 A newly discovered supernova can be watched as it develops in real-time online and for free. The livestream will begin at 6:30 p.m. EDT (2230 GMT) on Friday, May 26.
This new supernova is the closest to Earth in a decade. It's visible in the night sky right now. By Joe Rao published 23 May 23 During the last few days, astronomers have been pointing their telescopes toward a familiar celestial object in our spring night sky for a look at a rare event: A new supernova.
Supernova explosion's weird leftovers may contain a super-dense star By Robert Lea published 18 May 23 A young NASA mission spotted strange movements of X-rays in the supernova remnant known as Cassiopeia A, which may include an extremely dense and small star.
What happened to the missing stars at the heart of our Milky Way galaxy? By Keith Cooper published 18 May 23 The stellar companions of more than a dozen stars orbiting the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy have gone missing — and astronomers want to know why.
Zombie white dwarf fed on neighbor star until exploding in a thermonuclear blast By Robert Lea published 17 May 23 Astronomers have made the first detection of a supernova in radio waves, finding that an exploding white dwarf star was feeding from a companion star like a cosmic vampire before it blew.
Radiation belt seen beyond our solar system for the 1st time By Robert Lea published 17 May 23 The radiation belt around the ultracool dwarf star, located around 19 light-years from Earth, is doubled-lobed like the radiation belts around Jupiter — but it's 10 million times brighter.
Titanic cosmic bubbles blown by the Milky Way are surprisingly complex By Robert Lea published 16 May 23 The eRosita bubbles of hot gas that extend 36,000 light-years out from our Milky Way galaxy are more complex than previously thought, a new study reveals.
Cosmic monsters found lurking at heart of ancient star clusters by the James Webb Space Telescope By Robert Lea published 16 May 23 The James Webb Space Telescope has shown that supermassive stars may lurk at the heart of globular clusters born shortly after the Big Bang.
The Milky Way galaxy may be a different shape than we thought By Robert Lea published 16 May 23 New measurements suggest that the traditional view of the Milky Way as a galaxy with four major spiral arms extending out from a thick centralized bulge of stars could be wrong.