Featured Image: A Supernova Remnant in X-Rays
Chandra X-ray images of RCW 103 provide an updated picture of what’s happening in this puzzling supernova remnant.
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Don’t Cross the (Tidal) Streams
When an unfortunate star passes too close to a dormant supermassive black hole it gets torn apart by tidal forces, feeding the black hole for a short time. A recent study of the streams of stellar material in these events explains why we might be missing many of them.
Witnessing Solar Rejuvenation
At the end of last year, the Sun’s large-scale magnetic field suddenly strengthened, reaching its highest value in over two decades. Here, researchers explain why this happened and what it predicts for the next solar cycle.
Which Galaxies Are the Most Habitable?
Which type of galaxy is most likely to host complex life in the universe? A team of researchers from the UK has the answer.
Searching for Planets Around Pulsars
The very first exoplanets ever confirmed were found around a pulsar — but since then we’ve only found one other similar case. In this study, a team of researchers tries to figure out why.
Metallicity of the Stars at the Galactic Center
This study suggests that the stars in the central parsec of our galaxy are not a single, roughly solar-metallicity population, as previously thought.
Hidden Pair of Supermassive Black Holes
Could a pair of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) be lurking at the center of the galaxy Mrk 231?
An Explanation for Saturn’s Hexagon
For over three decades, we’ve been gathering observations of the mysterious hexagonal cloud pattern encircling Saturn’s north pole. Now, researchers believe they have a model that can better explain its formation.
Einstein@Home Finds an Elusive Pulsar
Personal-computer time volunteered through the Einstein@Home project has resulted in the discovery of a pulsar that has been hiding from observers for years.
Hot-Jupiter Breakfasts Realign Stars
A new model proposes that early stellar ingestion of planets might be very common, and this can have significant effect on the snacking star.
Killing Star Formation in Satellite Galaxies
When a dwarf galaxy falls into the halo of a large galaxy like the Milky Way, how is star formation in the dwarf affected?
Smallest Black Hole in Galactic Nucleus Detected
Astronomers have reported the detection of the smallest black hole ever observed in a galactic nucleus. Hosted in the center of a dwarf galaxy, it weighs in at 50,000 solar masses.