The biggest black holes may start from the tiniest seeds
The existence of gigantic black holes in the very early universe challenges our assumptions of how black holes form and grow.
New research suggests that...
Egg-shaped galaxies may be aligned to the black holes at their hearts
Black holes don't have many identifying features. They come in one color (black) and one shape (spherical).
The main difference between black holes is mass:...
Up to a third of stars ate some of their planets
In recent years, astronomers have developed techniques to measure the metal content of stars with extreme accuracy.
With that capability, astronomers have examined sibling stars...
Volcanic caves on Earth offer clues to finding life on Mars
Scientists are exploring Earth's ancient volcanic caves to uncover secrets that could help us search for life on Mars.
These caves, called lava tubes, form...
Scientists capture stunning images of nearby galaxies in unprecedented detail
Astronomers from the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) have unveiled breathtaking images of five galaxies in our cosmic neighborhood, taken with the Italian VST...
The Large Magellanic Cloud survived its closest approach to the Milky Way
The Large Magellanic Cloud is a small galaxy, just a tenth of the Milky Way’s mass.
It is about 160,000 light years away, which is...
What’s behind the Martian methane mystery
The seasonal variations of methane in the Martian atmosphere is an intriguing clue that there might be life hiding under the surface of the...
Bang! Meet the big ‘Red Monsters’ of the early universe.
Astronomers have spotted for the first time a trio of supermassive galaxies that were already fully formed in the first billion years of the...
A giant meteorite impact 3.26 billion years ago helped push life forward
The Earth has always been bombarded with rocks from space. It’s true to say though that there were more rocks flying around the Solar...
Are we alone? New model explores the odds of intelligent life in the universe
Astrophysicists from Durham University have developed a new model to estimate the likelihood of intelligent life forming in our universe—and even in hypothetical universes...