Grounded Eyes on Distant Watery Skies
A new view of the nearby upsilon Andromedae system has revealed a great deal about its closest-in exoplanet — including the presence of water vapor in its atmosphere.
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Throwing Icebergs at White Dwarfs
Where do the metals come from that pollute the atmospheres of many white dwarfs? Distant planet-size and icy objects could be partly at fault.
The Making of a Pre-Planetary Nebula
What forms the gas surrounding dying stars into the intricate shapes and patterns observed?
The Story of a Boring Encounter with a Black Hole
What happened when G2 encountered Sgr A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy, in 2014? Not much, but maybe that’s not surprising.
Globular Clusters for Faint Galaxies
New Hubble images of two ultra-diffuse galaxies have revealed an enormous number of globular clusters. Why do these dim galaxies host so many?
Nearby Hot Stars May Change Our View of Distant Sources
Distant quasars can appear to twinkle when material lies between them and us. A new study blames nearby hot stars for some of the extreme variability of quasars.
Speeding Clouds May Reveal Invisible Black Holes
Small, speeding clouds discovered at the center of our galaxy may have been formed by plunging black holes.
WASP-12b and Its Possible Fiery Demise
Hot Jupiters are predicted to spiral ever closer to their hosts until they meet their eventual demise. Are we watching this happen with WASP-12b?
Exploring Disks Around Planets
We’ve never spotted a circumplanetary disk before — but thanks to new simulations, we now have a better idea of what to look for.
Another Possibility for Boyajian’s Star
Could this unusual star’s missing flux be due to internal blockage rather than something outside of the star?