Astronomers have discovered a mechanism for the formation of dwarf spheroidal galaxies, which are thought to be composed mostly of dark matter. The 'cosmic dance' of gravitational interactions between galaxies may trigger the removal of stars from smaller dwarf galaxies, transforming them into the observed dwarfs.
Astronomers have discovered a rare type of stellar explosion known as SN 2008ha, which is 1000 times more powerful than a nova but 1000 times less powerful than a typical supernova. The explosion was detected by a 14-year-old student from New York and shed new light on the nature of stellar explosions.
The study uses radio telescope images to confirm the presence of a rotating molecular disk orbiting the young binary star system V4046 Sagittarii. The discovery expands the number of places to look for extrasolar planets, suggesting that planet formation may occur around double stars as easily as single stars.
New calculations suggest hundreds of massive rogue black holes are left over from the early universe, potentially wandering the Milky Way's outer reaches. These relics could provide clues about galaxy formation history and the formation of black holes in the early universe.
A team of astronomers has discovered the most distant object in the universe, a gamma-ray burst located approximately 13 billion light-years away. This explosive event, dubbed GRB 090423, occurred when the universe was just 630 million years old and is providing valuable insights into the early universe.
Astronomers are getting closer to finding an Earth-sized planet in an Earth-like orbit, but detecting its atmosphere will require hundreds of transits and advanced telescopes like JWST. Red dwarf stars offer the best possibility of detecting biomarkers in a transiting Earth's atmosphere.
A new study found that gas giants like Jupiter must form extremely fast, in less than 5 million years, or they won't form at all. This rapid growth spurt is necessary because the material from which they formed probably disappeared within a few million years.
Researchers identified two protostars located just a few light-years from the Milky Way's central black hole, defying expectations that gravitational tides would prevent star formation. The discovery suggests molecular gas at the galactic center is denser than previously thought, allowing it to form new stars.
Astrophysicists used new computer visualization technology to understand that gravity plays a more significant role than previously thought in deep space's star-forming molecular clouds. The research, led by Alyssa Goodman, reveals hierarchical structure and density variations within these clouds.
Astronomers discovered strong evidence that brown dwarfs form like stars using the Submillimeter Array. Brown dwarfs are on the line between planets and stars with masses between 15 and 75 Jupiters.
Researchers have discovered two distant galaxies with massive black holes at their centers, challenging previous assumptions about the formation of these cosmic objects. The study reveals that these colossal black holes were present even 12 billion years ago, when the universe was just 1.7 billion years old.
Researchers used VLBI technique to combine signals from multiple telescopes and detected structure 30 million miles away from the galactic center. The observations provide unprecedented view of the region near the black hole event horizon.
Astronomers have discovered a Jupiter-sized gas giant orbiting a star located 500 light-years from Earth. The newly found world circles its star every 3.03 days at a distance of only 4 million miles, much closer and faster than Mercury in our solar system.