Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets.
Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam
Powerful jets are launched from the most massive objects in our universe, but we don’t fully understand how. This measurement gets us a step closer to solving the mystery.
The corona of the sun can be clearly seen in this image taken in 2007.
(NASA/JPL-Caltech/NRL/GSFC)
The solar corona can be seen during the solar eclipse on April 8. Astronomers are still trying to figure out the mysteries of the corona, including why it’s so hot.
aeonWAVE / Shutterstock
The eclipse will allow scientists to get rare measurements of the Sun’s atmosphere.
NASA/CXC/M.Weiss
There are several ways in which stars can destroy and swallow their own planets.
A solar eclipse approaching totality.
AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File
Eclipses are rare, fantastic celestial events. Here’s how educators can help visually impaired students enjoy eclipses alongside their sighted peers.
Intouchable / Openverse
The largest study yet of ‘twin stars’ shows planetary orbits may be less stable than we thought.
SuperBIT waiting for launch while its giant helium balloon is inflated.
Bill Rodman/NASA
Giant helium balloons are a cheap, more environmentally friendly alternative to rocket launches – and you get the satellite back.
All sky view of the Milky Way taken by the European Space Agency’s Gaia space observatory.
(ESA/Gaia/DPAC)
Floating crystals can pause the stellar aging process, providing a final energy source to otherwise dead stars.
Throughout time, eclipses have inspired societies to understand the cosmos and its events.
(Shutterstock)
Eclipses have inspired myths, predictions and scientific discoveries. The total solar eclipse occurring on April 8 provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to engage with science and the cosmos.
Dietmar Muller
Deep-sea sediments show how the changing orbits of Earth and Mars are linked to past global warming and the speeding up of deep-ocean eddies.
Solar eclipses happen because of a few factors, including the Moon’s size and distance from the Sun.
AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley
Many people will see a dazzling eclipse this April, but these events are possible only because of the sizes and precise distances between Earth, the Moon and the Sun.
Discs giving birth to new planets, seen by the Very Large Telescope.
ESO/C. Ginski, A. Garufi, P.-G. Valegård et al.
Astronomers have spotted a surprisingly diverse set of planet-forming disks.
Solar eclipses don’t come around often, but make sure to view these rare events with eclipse glasses to protect your vision.
AP Photo/Charlie Riedel
Now’s the time to get your hands on a pair of eclipse glasses in preparation for April’s display of celestial wonder.
The surface of Mars is cold, dry and rocky.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU
Determining whether or not life exists on another planet is an extraordinarily complicated – and expensive – scientific endeavor.
A photograph of the 2017 total solar eclipse, taken at the Oregon State Fair Grounds, Salem, Ore.
(Dominic Hart/NASA)
Mentions of total solar eclipses in ancient history help researchers pinpoint precise dates of notable events.
Solar panels in Brazil.
AP Photo/Bruna Prado
When the Moon blocks the Sun during an eclipse, utility suppliers have to pull power from the grid to make up for gaps in solar energy.
NASA / ESA / CSA / Ivo Labbe (Swinburne) / Rachel Bezanson (University of Pittsburgh) / Alyssa Pagan (STScI)
With the help of a magnifying glass 4 million lightyears wide, astronomers may have solved the riddle of what burned away the hydrogen fog that pervaded the early universe.
NASA, ESA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI)
The discovery raises big questions about widely accepted models of galaxy formation.
Merlin74 / Shutterstock
The extreme object could tell us more about the environment around black holes.
Cristy Roberts/ANU
The black hole J0529-4351 is 500 trillion times brighter than the Sun.