Astronomy
- Space
50 years ago, astronomers saw the surface of a distant star for the first time
In the 1970s, technological advances let scientists peer through stars’ atmospheres. Now, scientists can measure roiling gas in the stars themselves.
- Space
Space missions spanned the solar system in 2024
Humankind accomplished new feats in space this year, including scooping up some of the moon’s farside and launching a probe to Jupiter’s moon Europa.
- Astronomy
Astronomers see the astrosphere of a sunlike star for the first time
Finding a bubble of hot gas blown by the stellar wind from a young star gives researchers a peek at what our sun was like when it was young.
- Astronomy
This is the first close-up image of a star beyond our galaxy
The first-ever close-up of an extragalactic star looks different than expected and might give a view of what stars look like at the end of their lives.
- Astronomy
A cosmic census triples the known number of black holes in dwarf galaxies
The DESI survey reveals that active black holes in small galaxies are common. The findings may help reveal how the two cosmic bodies evolve together.
- Astronomy
A star winked out of sight. Could it be a ‘failed supernova’?
The dramatic dimming of a star in the nearby Andromeda galaxy could mark the birth of a black hole.
- Astronomy
A zombie star’s spiky filaments shed light on a 12th century supernova
A 3-D map of the strange remains of a supernova seen in 1181 traces the odd tendrils of gas that jut out for several light-years in all directions.
- Science & Society
Using AI, historians track how astronomy ideas spread in the 16th century
A new AI machine learning technique helped historians analyze 76,000 pages from astronomy textbooks spanning nearly two centuries.
- Astronomy
Runaway stars could influence the cosmos far past their home galaxies
Dozens of stars fleeing a neighbor of the Milky Way suggest these escapees could have an outsized influence on their cosmic surroundings.
- Space
50 years ago, satellites threatened astronomers’ view of the cosmos
As satellite launches ramp up and the spacecraft clog the skies, astronomers fear for their data.
- Astronomy
Barnard’s star has at least one planet orbiting it after all
After decades of searching, a telltale gravitational wobble points to an exoplanet orbiting the nearby red dwarf every 3.15 days.
- Astronomy
Betelgeuse has a tiny companion star hidden in plain sight
Betelgeuse has a sequel — in the form of a companion star that's about the same mass as the sun, orbiting it about once every 2,100 days.
