Stars
Stars are celestial bodies made up of hot gases. Stars radiate energy that comes form thermonuclear reactions. In this section you will learn all about stars and their importance in the universe.
A tiny black hole or a more monstrous neutron star? Astronomers are on the case.
Plus, a bonus finding on dark matter!
Some neutron stars may have a pretty amazing party trick up their stellar sleeves.
The Monster Star That Refuses to Die: Could Antimatter Be Fueling Its Supernovas?
This isn't your run-of-the-mill supernova.
Neither massive planets nor tiny stars, brown dwarfs are entirely different substellar curiosities that possess qualities of both.
Get ready for the most powerful electromagnetic explosion the universe has ever known.
Astronomers have discovered a life-giving chemical in a star system located 400 light-years away. Now we just have to wait and see what arises from the cosmic mix.
We might be only a few years away from seeing whether potentially habitable worlds are inhabited. How cool is that?
Scientists have a new idea, and it has to do with gravitational attraction and repulsion.
A total solar eclipse and a comet flyby are on the list of fascinating astronomical happenings 2017 has in store.
This is the largest-ever planet found in orbit around a binary star system, and like our own solar system neighbor, is a gas giant that probably has moons.
And you thought it was tough deciding which family to visit during the holidays. We just identified two stars in the process of forming a planet – or a planetary system.
Here's What Scientists Just Determined About the Moon's Influence on Rainfall
Our moon has the power to influence how much rain we get on Earth. The effect is too tiny to notice, but still: mad respect, Moon.
Astronomers Investigating Planetary Birth Make Discoveries Around Baby Stars
Over billions of years, the universe has produced a lot of worlds. How does it happen? Astronomers are studying young stars and the exoplanets forming around them.
We'll give you yet another reason why dark matter is cooler than visible matter.
These days, we may take the stars for granted, but it's not hard to imagine the wonder early humans must have felt gazing up at those inexplicable points of light. Naturally, superstitions were bound to develop — some more fortuitous than others.
Relying on a collapsed star to power our lives on Earth might seem like a good solution to our energy crisis, but there's just one tiny problem: The process might be lethal.
A single pulsar is fascinating enough, but as a set, these rapidly rotating neutron stars help scientists figure out mysteries of the universe.
It's not uncommon for planets to wander alone through the universe like big, sullen teenagers. But how do they end up flying solo, and could they still harbor life?
When a huge star collapses, it releases massive amounts of radiation in concentrated streams. If one of those streams hit Earth, it wouldn't be pretty. But where should we put "gamma-ray bursts" on our list of anxieties?
A dying star can explode with the force of a few octillion nuclear bombs and create any element in the universe. But why do stars go supernova?
It wasn't so long ago that astronomers thought the universe contained normal matter, or baryonic matter, the base unit of which is the atom. But when it comes to the cosmos, there's always more than meets the eye. What else is hanging out in space?
Stars are enormous celestial bodies hot enough to register millions of degrees. They're fascinating scientific phenomena, but is it actually possible for scientists to create them?
Galaxies got their start nearly 14 billion years ago, with one unimaginably hot, dense and tiny pinpoint. How did we arrive at the universe's sprawling state of galactic affairs today?
Long, long ago, our sun began its life as a mere twinkle in the universe's eye. How did it become the ruler of our solar system?
