An international team of astronomers has captured the most detailed view yet of Pa 30, a supernova remnant in the Milky Way, revealing striking new features. The remnant is composed of chains of gas knots, each wide enough to fit the solar system multiple times, and a surviving 'zombie star' at its core. The discovery provides valuable...
Researchers from University College London have disputed the existence of hypernovae, the most powerful explosions in the Universe, by suggesting that ordinary supernovae could better explain the formation of unusual stars in the Milky Way's halo and a neighboring dwarf galaxy. The study's findings indicate that the unusual composition...
Researchers used advanced simulations to investigate how the first stars and galaxies formed, connecting observations of young galaxies with chemical clues preserved in ancient stars. The study suggests that simplified models may underestimate the influence of stellar radiation and complex chemical processes on gas surrounding galaxies.
Researchers in South Africa's Karoo region are redefining the relationship between Indigenous knowledge and modern science, as they study the ethnoastronomical knowledge of local communities. The project, which involves elders and knowledge holders, highlights the dynamic and adaptive nature of traditional knowledge, which continues to...
A new study casts doubt on a leading theory linking dark matter and stellar streams, revealing that the host galaxy itself plays a significant role in shaping these streams. The simulations show that the structure of the galaxy causes irregularities in the streams, which could be mistaken for dark matter's gravitational tug.
Astronomers have discovered the fastest star in the Milky Way, S301, orbiting the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* at a speed of 25,000 km/s. The star's tight orbit takes just 8.7 years to complete and approaches the black hole at a mere 12 times the distance of Earth to the Sun.
Researchers observe star fragments plowing through surrounding gas, tracing the recycling process that supplies raw materials for new planets and stars. The study offers a glimpse into the potential fate of our Sun, which will shed its outer layers and return material to the Milky Way.
Astronomers have discovered the first globular cluster stellar stream outside the Milky Way, providing a powerful tool for studying dark matter. The study uses the stream's shape to reconstruct the galaxy's gravitational field and infer how dark matter shaped the stars' orbits.
Researchers have discovered a globular cluster stellar stream in another galaxy, offering new insights into the nature of dark matter. The study demonstrates that these streams can be used to measure dark matter content beyond our own galaxy, opening doors to a broader understanding of its behavior.
The SDSS-V survey has released its twentieth public data release (DR20), providing a massive catalog of high-quality spectra of stars across the Milky Way. The dataset includes over two million total spectra, revealing temperatures, ages, and chemical compositions of stars.
A team of researchers found that primordial black holes triggering Type Ia supernovae can explain several observed characteristics, including chemical abundance trends. The study suggests a non-zero fraction of PBH-triggered SN Ia is necessary to explain the trend in Milky Way stars.
Astronomers discovered high-speed 'bullets' of oxygen-rich gas shooting out of the only known helium nova in Milky Way, confirming binary system responsible for rare stellar explosion. The discovery provides unprecedented opportunity to study one of universe's rarest types of stellar explosions.
Researchers found that galaxies with slowly rotating stellar haloes are more likely to have experienced a major disc flip, where the galaxy's disc changed its orientation by more than 90 degrees. This discovery provides clues about how the Milky Way assembled and may offer indirect hints about the motion of its invisible dark matter halo.
A team of researchers has identified an accelerator of extremely high-energy cosmic-ray protons, called a proton PeVatron, in the Milky Way galaxy. The discovery was made possible by combining data from multiple experiments, including Tibet AS gamma, LHAASO, Fermi-LAT, and Chandra X-ray Observatory.
Researchers have identified erythrulose, a four-carbon ketose sugar, in the interstellar medium near the Milky Way Galaxy. This detection provides an alternative source of sugars that may have contributed to the emergence of life on Earth.
The XMM-Newton and Chandra space telescopes have spotted the aftermath of three bright explosions echoing through the Milky Way's outer spiral arms. The team measured the distance to these echoes directly, finding two arms - Outer Scutum-Centaurus Arm and Outer Arm - lie up to 10% further away than previously thought.
A new machine-learning method incorporating photon energies debunks the Galactic Center Excess, a faint gamma-ray glow around the Milky Way's center. The study finds that dark matter cannot be ruled out as an explanation for the signal.
The Kavli Prize in Astrophysics 2026 is awarded to Vasily Belokurov, Amina Helmi, and Rodrigo Ibata for their discovery of past mergers that prove the Milky Way galaxy was built through hierarchical accretion. This breakthrough reveals how our universe is formed and challenges assumptions on galaxy formation.
New simulations show that a magnetic field can decrease the distance between forming binary protostars, explaining observed characteristics of Milky Way binary star systems. This process also gives insights into massive black hole evolution and merger formation.
Astrophysicists at Northwestern University have discovered evidence of a powerful wind blowing from the Milky Way's central supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A*. The study resolves one of the longest-standing mysteries in astronomy and opens a new window into the physics at play in the center of the Milky Way. The team used five yea...
The study suggests that massive galaxies formed through violent mergers, leading to a rapid burst of star formation and the growth of supermassive black holes. This process prevented these galaxies from producing new stars for over a billion years, leaving them as quiescent galaxies.
A new study reveals how ancient galactic collisions can destroy stellar discs, affecting star formation and galaxy structure. Simulations show that rotating discs often formed earlier than thought but can be partially or completely destroyed by major mergers.
Researchers discover ultra-faint galaxy LAP1-B with record-breaking low oxygen abundance and elevated carbon-to-oxygen ratio, suggesting it is the 'ancestor' of fossil galaxies near our Milky Way. The team's findings provide a historic window into the earliest stages of galaxy assembly.
A new study uses unprecedented simulations to reveal how ultra-faint dwarf galaxies reflect the conditions of the early Universe. These tiny satellite galaxies can provide clues about the properties of dark matter and help test early-Universe physics with upcoming observations.
Ultra-faint dwarf galaxies, tiny satellite galaxies of the Milky Way, can reflect conditions of the early universe, shedding light on galaxy formation and dark matter. Simulations suggest these small galaxies are sensitive to early radiation environment and can probe the universe's earliest climate.
Astronomers have identified the edge of the Milky Way's star-forming disc for the first time, finding that most star formation happens within 40,000 light-years of the Galactic Center. This discovery uses a new approach combining star ages with galaxy simulations to pinpoint the boundary.
Astronomers have discovered an ancient immigrant star in the Milky Way that formed in a companion galaxy and migrated billions of years ago. The star, SDSSJ0715-7334, has the lowest metallicity ever observed, suggesting it is one of the oldest stars in the universe.
A new study reveals the Milky Way's southern halo is up to 12% warmer than the northern half due to an internal combustion engine-like effect caused by the Large Magellanic Cloud. The compression of gas in this process heats up, affecting the temperature difference between the two regions.
Using data from the TYPHOON survey, scientists examined the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 1365 and achieved resolution sharp enough to separate individual star-forming clouds. The study reveals that the galaxy grew and merged with other galaxies over 12 billion years of cosmic time.
The Small Magellanic Cloud's stars do not orbit around its center due to a direct collision with the Large Magellanic Cloud. The collision disrupted the SMC's internal structure and destroyed its gas rotation, making it a unique case to study galaxy evolution.
Astronomers have discovered a rare second-generation star, PicII-503, in the ultra-faint dwarf galaxy Pictor II, which preserves the chemical imprint of the first stars in the Universe. The star has an extreme overabundance of carbon and the lowest iron abundance ever measured outside of the Milky Way.
The Tibet ASγ Experiment has measured magnetohydrodynamic turbulence on scales below one parsec within the gamma-ray halo surrounding the Geminga pulsar wind nebula. The study found that particle diffusion is strongly suppressed near Geminga and the turbulent properties follow a Kolmogorov-type scaling law.
Astronomers have captured unprecedented detail of cosmic gas in the Milky Way's Central Molecular Zone, revealing intricate chemistry and complex star-forming processes. The dataset provides a unique view of the raw material from which stars form, shedding light on galaxy evolution and the birth of massive stars.
Researchers propose an alternative explanation for the galactic centre: an enormous clump of mysterious dark matter exerting gravitational influence. The model also explains the galaxy's large-scale rotation and predicts a unique cosmic structure.
Researchers mapped the northern sky across different radio frequencies to create a high-quality dataset of the galaxy's magnetic field structure. The data provides insight into how the magnetic field evolved and includes a new three-dimensional model for the reversal in the Sagittarius Arm.
Researchers have created the first broadband map of Faraday rotation, revealing a complex magnetic field in the Milky Way. The dataset, DRAGONS, captures polarized radio emissions across a wide range of frequencies, allowing astronomers to see magnetic structures invisible before.
Researchers from ICCUB led the most extensive observational study of runaway massive stars in the Milky Way, combining measurements of rotation speeds and binarity. The results reveal that most runaway stars rotate slowly, while those with high velocities are linked to supernova explosions or gravitational ejection.
A new study has created a comprehensive model of neutrino mapping, revealing that most stars in the Milky Way generate and emit these ghost particles. The research provides valuable insights into the universe, offering a unique way to explore cosmic phenomena.
Evidence suggests Sagittarius A* flared dramatically within the past few hundred to 1,000 years, according to X-ray emissions observed by XRISM. The findings unveil new details of supermassive black hole evolution and provide lessons about our cosmic home.
Researchers reconstruct Milky Way's evolution from its earliest phases to present day, revealing a tumultuous youth and chaotic conditions. The study provides new insights into galaxy formation and growth, highlighting the need for refinement in theoretical predictions.
Astronomers have detected a new gamma-ray source near Westerlund 1, a young massive star cluster in the Milky Way. The source is connected to a 'nascent outflow' of particles driven by the cluster's collective wind, creating a cavity in the interstellar medium.
A new study using advanced computer simulations has shed light on the mysterious chemical history of the Milky Way. Researchers found that galaxies like the Milky Way can develop two distinct chemical sequences through various mechanisms, challenging previous assumptions about the role of cosmic gas flows and galaxy mergers.
Astronomers from India use JWST to spot a mature spiral galaxy, Alaknanda, with two sweeping arms and annual star-forming rate 20 times that of Milky Way. This discovery challenges current models of galaxy formation and encourages rethinking theoretical frameworks.
Researchers at RIKEN successfully simulated the Milky Way Galaxy with over 100 billion individual stars, far surpassing previous state-of-the-art models. This achievement demonstrates the power of AI-accelerated simulations in tackling complex multi-scale problems in astrophysics and beyond.
Astronomers detect a distant galaxy with temperatures of 90 Kelvin, indicating an extreme star factory that could have produced stars at a rate 180 times faster than the Milky Way. This discovery provides insight into how galaxies formed quickly in the early universe.
A team from the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research has assembled a record-breaking radio colour image of the Milky Way. The unprecedented level of detail offers new insights into the galaxy's radio emission and structure.
Researchers at UC Irvine have identified an exoplanet in the Milky Way Galaxy's habitable zone, which may support liquid water conditions. The super-Earth orbits an M-dwarf star just 18 light-years away, making it a prime target for future direct imaging studies.
Researchers used the James Webb Space Telescope to study young galaxies in the early universe, finding most were turbulent and 'clumpy'. Despite this chaos, galaxy dynamics show a gradual transition towards ordered structures, suggesting that galaxies like our Milky Way formed through frequent mergers and bursts of star formation.
Astronomers detected complex organic molecules in ices outside the Milky Way for the first time, finding five different carbon-based compounds, including methanol and acetic acid. This discovery sheds light on how chemical ingredients for life spread throughout the cosmos.
Researchers revive dark matter as a serious contender for explaining the Milky Way's central glow, proposing a more complex and nonspherical dark matter structure. Advanced simulations reveal that dark matter may still be the best explanation for the excess of high-energy radiation observed by NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope.
A mysterious glow in the Milky Way could be a clue to dark matter's existence. Researchers used supercomputers to simulate dark matter locations and found matches with actual gamma ray maps.
Researchers from Australian National University have detected binary stars in the outer regions of 47 Tucanae, a globular cluster in the Milky Way. This discovery sheds light on how these clusters formed and evolved over billions of years.
The Gaia space telescope has discovered a giant wave in the Milky Way galaxy, causing stars to wobble over vast distances. The wave stretches across a huge portion of the galactic disc, affecting stars up to 65 thousand light-years away from the centre.
Astronomers used Gaia's data to create the most accurate 3D map of star-forming regions in our galaxy, revealing the location and ionization of hot young stars. The map extends to 4000 light-years from us and includes detailed views of notable nebulae.
Research by Curtin University reveals a striking link between the structure of our galaxy and the evolution of Earth's crust, showing it was shaped by meteorite impacts. Tiny ancient crystals in Earth's crust capture the rhythm of meteorite impacts during solar system passage through Milky Way's spiral arms.
A team of astronomers observed a mysterious repeating gamma-ray burst outside the Milky Way galaxy, lasting about a day, which is 100 to 1000 times longer than most GRBs. The discovery challenges known scenarios and may be caused by an intermediate mass black hole or an unusual star being destroyed.
Researchers detected protostellar jets and outflows using ALMA in the Milky Way's outer region, showing that star formation works similarly across diverse cosmic environments. The discovery revealed episodic ejection cycles and unique chemistry in low-metallicity regions.
A team of astrophysicists from the University of Bonn and Iran has reclassified Ursa Major III as a compact star cluster containing a black hole core. Simulations suggest that the object's high mass-to-light ratio can be explained by the presence of dark stars rather than dark matter.
Researchers measured magnetic field of Sagittarius C, a region in the Central Molecular Zone, to understand interaction between dense clouds, star formation, and strong magnetic field. The study found that the magnetic field wraps around an expanding central bubble of hot, ionized gas created by massive young stars.
Researchers studied similar spiral galaxies and found they 'dance' with closely located dwarf satellites, potentially revealing the formation and evolution of our galaxy's satellite system. The study aims to refine models of galaxy evolution and cosmic structure, offering new insights into our understanding of the universe.