Scientists propose that some dead stars made of the densest material in the known universe, so-called ‘neutron stars’, could act as traps for dark matter particles to collide at high speed and destroy each other. The crew says the destruction process likely heats the dead stars from within. In general, dark matter is a problematic … Read more
A very young star is forming in the dark cloud L1527 (top left), the “Cosmic Cliffs” (top right), the Tarantula Nebula (bottom left) and the molecular cloud Chameleon I (bottom right).NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI/Webb ERO production team. Image processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI), Anton M. Koekemoer (STScI), Mahdi Zamani (ESA/Webb). NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has … Read more
In December 2023, the Hubble Space Telescope completed its largest program since its launch in 1990. With this program, the telescope made observations of 500 individual stars over three years – and scientists are now ready to dive into this cosmic Easter egg of data. The comprehensive Hubble Telescope survey is called the Ultraviolet Legacy … Read more
You have to have a feeling for brown dwarfs. Not only has their inability to ignite like normal stars earn them an unfortunate nickname: failed stars, but new findings from the Hubble Space Telescope have revealed that they can’t even sustain a relationship. Brown dwarfs are celestial bodies that form when giant clouds of gas … Read more
In about 5 billion years, the fuel needed for nuclear fusion in the sun’s core will run out. This will cause the inner core to collapse under the force of the sun’s gravity. At this point, the star’s outer layers (where nuclear fusion is still taking place) will expand and it will enter a phase … Read more
Astronomers have discovered a previously unknown source of cosmic dust. Why is it important to detect this dust? Well, these particles actually act as building blocks for stars. The international team found that such dust can be created by a type of cosmic explosion that occurs when a dead white dwarf star removes material from … Read more
In the vast night sky, where countless stars compete for attention, one colossus reigns supreme as the largest star in the universe. Located thousands of light-years away from Earth, the enormous size of this celestial giant poses a challenge to our understanding of stellar physics. Most of the stars in our Milky Way may seem … Read more
An illuminated sphere flies through black space, with wide rings shooting up and down from the surface. it is followed by a smooth, gaseous streak of orangey yellow. New research has shown that different types of neutron stars, born when massive stars die, behave in a similar way. This may sound like a small result, … Read more
Some of the largest, most intense regions of star formation are found in the smallest galaxies. Scientists think this is because stars that reach the end of their lives in so-called dwarf galaxies are more likely to turn into black holes rather than explode. supernovas. The contrast is so stark, the team says, that dwarf … Read more