These gases could signify intelligent life beyond Earth
Astronomers proposed that the industrial gases nitrogen trifluoride and sulfur hexafluoride could provide measurable signs of advanced…
Category: What do we know about stars?
What do we know about stars? How can stars teach us about ourselves, the Earth?
The fate of massive rotating stars
Researchers showed that massive stars at the end of their lives are more likely to collapse into black holes than to explode into…
Scientists observe a changing exoplanet orbit
Astronomers conducted a multifaceted study of the exoplanet TrES-1 b and found that its orbit is shifting, possibly due to an unseen…
How did early galaxies form?
Astronomers observed a distant, ancient galaxy and found that it consisted of 5 distinct regions, suggesting a complex formation history…
How often are stars flung out of the center of the Galaxy?
Researchers surveyed stars in the Milky Way Galaxy and found they’re only rarely ejected from the Galaxy's center.
Stellar flares could masquerade as life on exoplanets
Astronomers tested whether energy bursts from stars could artificially elevate typical “biosignature” gases on exoplanets.
The lifecycle of a steam world
Scientists studied exoplanets with high water contents and found that they initially have outer vapor layers, which then cool and shrink…
The Sun’s coldest regions are warmer than expected
Researchers found that the coldest regions of the Sun’s surface are much hotter than models predicted, likely due to turbulence in its…
Is Earth safe from nearby exploding stars?
Scientists used an Earth system model to test how radiation from a nearby supernova would affect life on our planet. They found that the…
Dying stars create new elements
Astrophysicists showed that collapsing white dwarfs can eject enough material to form heavy elements.