How star-making clouds survive in the harsh outer regions of the Milky Way
The far edges of our galaxy might seem like quiet, empty places, but astronomers have discovered that even in these remote areas, massive clouds...
Cosmic crash in the Milky Way sparks new stars
A dramatic event in our galaxy may be giving birth to new stars.
A recent study led by Ph.D. student Dilda Berdikhan from the Xinjiang...
Some young stars are born crooked—and so are their solar systems
Scientists have long assumed that stars and the disks of gas and dust that form planets around them start out spinning in the same...
Giant star blows massive bubble, leaving astronomers stunned
Astronomers have spotted something extraordinary in our galaxy—a huge, expanding bubble of gas and dust around a red supergiant star.
It’s the largest bubble of...
Baby star fires cosmic blast—and gets hit by its own shockwave
Astronomers have spotted a rare and dramatic cosmic event: a baby star that fired off an enormous jet of energy, triggering an explosion—and then...
Lonely giant planets may build their own mini solar systems
A new study from the University of St Andrews has found that giant, starless planets drifting alone through space may be able to form...
Spinning water tornado in a tank sheds light on how planets are born
Scientists in Germany have created a simple but powerful experiment that uses a swirling water tornado in a tank to mimic how planets form...
After 13 years on Mars, NASA’s Curiosity rover is smarter than ever
Thirteen years after it first touched down on the Red Planet, NASA's Curiosity rover is proving it still has a lot of exploring left...
Alien sun dogs? Strange light shows may dance in distant exoplanet skies
When you look up on a cold winter day and see bright spots of light flanking the sun—called sun dogs—you’re witnessing the beautiful result...
Scientists find a star that defies physics—and it’s speeding up
Astronomers have found a strange and fascinating object in space that may change what we know about stars.
Named CHIME J1634+44, this object gives off...