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FAST detects extragalactical neutral hydrogen emission for the first time
Astronomers observed four extragalactic galaxies by using the FAST 19-beam receiver, and detected the neutral hydrogen line emission from three targets with only five minutes of exposure each. This is the first publication for FAST to detect extragalactic neutral hydrogen.
July 1, 2020 Read more
Betelgeuse - a giant with blemishes
Gigantic star spots are probably the reason for the recent drop in brightness of the red giant star.
July 1, 2020 Read more
To find giant black holes, start with Jupiter
On a quest to find the Universe's largest black holes, researcher identifies the center of the solar system within 100 meters.
June 30, 2020 Read more
A cosmic mystery: Astronomers capture the disappearance of a massive star
Astronomers have discovered the absence of an unstable massive star in a dwarf galaxy. Scientists think this could indicate that the star became less bright and partially obscured by dust. An alternative explanation is that the star collapsed into a black hole without producing a supernova.
June 30, 2020 Read more
First measurement of spin-orbit alignment on planet Beta Pictoris b
Astronomers have made the first measurement of spin-orbit alignment for a distant 'super-Jupiter' planet, demonstrating a technique that could enable breakthroughs in the quest to understand how exoplanetary systems form and evolved.
June 29, 2020 Read more
Case for axion origin of dark matter gains traction
In a new study of axion motion, researchers propose a scenario known as 'kinetic misalignment' that greatly strengthens the case for axion/dark matter equivalence. The novel concept answers key questions related to the origins of dark matter and provides new avenues for ongoing detection efforts.
June 26, 2020 Read more
Astronomers discover most massive quasar known in early universe
The second-most distant quasar ever discovered now has a Hawaiian name.
June 25, 2020 Read more
Hubble watches the 'flapping' of cosmic bat shadow
The young star HBC 672 is known by its nickname of Bat Shadow because of its wing-like shadow feature. The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has now observed a curious 'flapping' motion in the shadow of the star's disc for the first time.
June 25, 2020 Read more
Black hole collision may have exploded with light
Possible light flare observed from small black holes within the disk of a massive black hole.
June 25, 2020 Read more
Rogue's gallery of dusty star systems reveals exoplanet nurseries
Systematic survey of 104 nearby stars turns up 25 dust disks with evidence of planets.
June 25, 2020 Read more
Beneath the surface of our galaxy's water worlds
Scientists have simulated conditions on water-rich exoplanets to learn more about their geological composition, and found a new transition state between rock and water.
June 25, 2020 Read more
LIGO-Virgo finds mystery astronomical object in 'mass gap'
Astronomers have detected a mystery object inside the puzzling area known as the 'mass gap' -- the range that lies between the heaviest known neutron star and the lightest known black hole.
June 24, 2020 Read more
A blue spark to shine on the origin of the Universe
An interdisciplinary team of scientists has demonstrated that it is possible to build an ultra-sensitive sensor based on a new fluorescent molecule able to detect the nuclear decay key to knowing whether or not a neutrino is its own antiparticle. The results of this study have great potential to determine the nature of the neutrino and thus answer fundamental questions about the origin of the Universe.
June 23, 2020 Read more
Life in the galaxy: maybe this is as good as it gets?
Researchers have found that rocky exoplanets, which formed early in the life of the galaxy seem to have had a greater chance of developing a magnetic field and plate tectonics than planets, which formed later. This means that if life exists in the Galaxy, it may have developed earlier than later, and that planets formed more recently may have less chance of developing life.
June 23, 2020 Read more
Future space travelers may follow cosmic lighthouses
For centuries, lighthouses helped sailors navigate safely into harbor. In the future, space explorers may receive similar guidance from the steady signals created by pulsars.
June 22, 2020 Read more
A new explanation for the far side of the Moon's strange asymmetry
Earth's Moon has a 'near side' that is perpetually Earth-facing and a 'far side', which always faces away from Earth. The composition of the Moon's near side is oddly different from its far side, and scientists think they finally understand why.
June 22, 2020 Read more
New research hints at the presence of unconventional galaxies containing 2 black holes
An international team of astronomers identifies periodic gamma-ray emissions from 11 active galaxies.
June 20, 2020 Read more
Our deepest view of the X-ray sky
The eROSITA telescope has provided a new, sharp view of hot and energetic processes across the Universe.
June 19, 2020 Read more