Life's building blocks may have formed in interstellar clouds
An experiment shows that one of the basic units of life — nucleobases — could have originated within giant gas clouds interspersed between the stars.
Read moreGalaxies
A planet that should not exist
Astronomers detected a giant planet orbiting a small star. The planet has much more mass than theoretical models predict.
Read moreGalaxy found to float in a tranquil sea of halo gas
Using one cosmic mystery to probe another, astronomers have analyzed the signal from a fast radio burst, an enigmatic blast of cosmic radio waves lasting less than a millisecond, to characterize the diffuse gas in the halo of a massive galaxy.
Read moreScientists watch a black hole shredding a star
A satellite searching space for new planets gave astronomers an unexpected glimpse at a black hole ripping a star to shreds. The milestone was reached with the help of a worldwide network of robotic telescopes.
Read moreA black hole's warped world
A new visualization of a black hole illustrates how its gravity distorts our view, warping its surroundings as if viewed in a funhouse mirror.
Six galaxies undergoing sudden, dramatic transitions
Astronomers observed six mild-mannered LINER galaxies suddenly and surprisingly transforming into ravenous quasars — home to the brightest of all active galactic nuclei. The team's observations could help demystify the nature of both LINERs and quasars while answering some burning questions about galactic evolution. Based on their analysis, the researchers suggest they have discovered an entirely new type of black hole activity at the centers of these six LINER galaxies.
Read moreCrucial role of recycling in the evolution of life in our universe
New research by astrophysicists reveals how the gas and energy expelled by stars are returned to the universe, and in what forms. It also found that the elements produced by dying stars are transferred through a process of fragmentation and recycled into new stars and planets.
Read moreMost massive neutron star ever detected, almost too massive to exist
Astronomers have discovered the most massive neutron star to date, a rapidly spinning pulsar approximately 4,600 light-years from Earth. This record-breaking object is teetering on the edge of existence, approaching the theoretical maximum mass possible for a neutron star.
Read moreNew observations help explain the dimming of Tabby's Star
The overall brightness of Tabby's Star has been gradually dimming for years. A new study suggests chunks of an exomoon's dusty outer layers of ice, gas and carbonaceous rock may be accumulating in a disk, blocking the star's light and making it appear to slowly fade.
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