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Pulsars may make dark matter glow

The central question in the ongoing hunt for dark matter is: what is it made of? One possible answer is that dark matter consists of particles known as axions. A team of astrophysicists has now shown that if dark matter consists of axions, it may reveal itself in the form of a subtle additional glow coming from pulsating stars.

October 6, 2023 Read more

Astronomers Discover first step toward planet formation

Scientists succeeded in capturing the conditions on the eve of planet formation, as the disk was smooth with no signature of planets. They also found that the dust had grown significantly in the outer part of the disk and that the dust concentration was higher than normal in the inner part of the disk.

October 6, 2023 Read more

Plot thickens in hunt for ninth planet

A pair of theoretical physicists are reporting that the same observations inspiring the hunt for a ninth planet might instead be evidence within the solar system of a modified law of gravity originally developed to understand the rotation of galaxies.

October 5, 2023 Read more

Scientists discover the highest energy gamma-rays ever from a pulsar

Scientists have detected the highest energy gamma rays ever from a dead star called a pulsar. The energy of these gamma rays clocked in at 20 tera-electronvolts, or about ten trillion times the energy of visible light. This observation is hard to reconcile with the theory of the production of such pulsed gamma rays.

October 5, 2023 Read more

Bursts of star formation explain mysterious brightness at cosmic dawn

Intense flashes of light, not mass, resolve the puzzle of impossible brightness.

October 3, 2023 Read more

How to build better extraterrestrial robots

Researchers analyze granular flow of planetary surface materials in different gravities at International Space Station.

September 28, 2023 Read more

New proof for black hole spin

The supermassive black hole at the heart of galaxy M87, made famous by the first picture of a black hole shadow, has yielded another first: the jet shooting out from the black hole has been confirmed to wobble, providing direct proof that the black hole is spinning.

September 27, 2023 Read more

Extreme weight loss: Star sheds unexpected amounts of mass just before going supernova

A newly discovered nearby supernova whose star ejected up to a full solar mass of material in the year prior to its explosion is challenging the standard theory of stellar evolution. The new observations are giving astronomers insight into what happens in the final year prior to a star's death and explosion.

September 27, 2023 Read more

Hidden supermassive black holes reveal their secrets through radio signals

Astronomers have found a striking link between the amount of dust surrounding a supermassive black hole and the strength of the radio emission produced in extremely bright galaxies.

September 25, 2023 Read more

New insights into the atmosphere and star of an exoplanet

Astronomers have made important progress in understanding the intriguing TRAPPIST-1 exoplanetary system, which was first discovered in 2016 amid speculation it could someday provide a place for humans to live.

September 25, 2023 Read more

Webb finds carbon source on surface of Jupiter's moon Europa

Astronomers have identified carbon dioxide in a specific region on the icy surface of Europa. Analysis indicates that this carbon likely originated in the subsurface ocean and was not delivered by meteorites or other external sources.

September 22, 2023 Read more

How the 'cosmic rulebook' of galaxy formation was rewritten

Early galaxies followed a formation 'rulebook', according to researchers using the James Webb Space Telescope, but this cosmic rulebook appears to have been dramatically rewritten during the universe's infancy.

September 22, 2023 Read more

New Mars gravity analysis improves understanding of possible ancient ocean

The first use of a novel method of analyzing Mars' gravitational force supports the idea that the planet once had an extensive northern ocean.

September 20, 2023 Read more

Black holes eat faster than previously expected

A new study is changing the way astrophysicists understand the eating habits of supermassive black holes. While previous researchers have hypothesized that black holes eat slowly, new simulations indicate that black holes scarf food much faster than conventional understanding suggests.