Topic: Stellar Astronomy

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In Pictures: Space photos of the day: Looking deeper
In Pictures: Space photos of the day: Dwarfs
In Pictures: Space Photos of the Day: Remarkable Hubble photos
In Pictures: Space photos of the day: Celestial nurseries
In Pictures: Space photos of the day: Spitzer Space Telescope

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Black hole emits humongous energy burst (+video)

An unusual brightness, documented by NASA's Chandra telescope appears to be coming from a black hole.
How do supermassive black holes get so big? A peculiar diet, perhaps.

New research suggests that the supermassive black holes at the cores of some galaxies could grow so large by consuming one star from a binary system and flinging the other into space.
Planets hurtling near the speed of light? It's possible, study says.

Scientists want to know if planets can form near the supermassive black hole at the core of the galaxy. If so, the black hole could fling them out into space at enormous speeds that, from our vantage point, could appear to approach the speed of light.
Giant stars may not be necessary for supernovae

New research using X-ray and ultraviolet data helps scientists to better understand the origins of supernovae. These exploding stars are important in measuring distance in the universe.
Scientists explain pileups of gigantic alien worlds

Researchers say they have apparently discovered the secret behind the mysterious clumping of massive alien worlds: high-energy radiation from their stars.
How does star-making start? For first time, scientists might get a glimpse.

Scientists have yet to see a star form all on its own – away from the influence of surrounding stars. Now, researchers say they might have found a candidate.
Orion Nebula shows us how stars are born (+video)

A joint project of the Herschel and Spitzer space telescopes show rapid changes in brightness in the star nursery in the Orion constellation.
Could free-floating 'nomad' planets carry seeds of life in the universe?

A 'nomad' planet of the right mass, with the right atmosphere, and some source of heat – perhaps radioactive decay or tectonic activity – could allow for life either on the surface or underground.
Supermassive black holes are cannibals, new research suggests

Astronomers have found black holes and supermassive black holes. But the discovery of a mid-size black hole could support the idea that supermassive black holes grow by eating others.
How a black hole survived the destruction of its galaxy

The Hubble telescope has spotted the remains of a destroyed galaxy, whose sole remains consist of a black hole and a cloud of gas, which has spawned a cluster of new stars.
Scientists unravel mystery of humongous space explosion (+video)

Great Eruption of Eta Carinae, a massive star some 7,500 light-years away that suddenly lit up the night sky for a decade beginning in 1838 is one of the most studied objects in the Milky Way. But it continues to puzzle astronomers.
Breathtaking Carina nebula photo provides window into star nursery

The Very Large Telescope spied the cosmic landscape of gas, dust and young stars in the majestic Carina nebula, which is located about 7,500 light-years away from Earth.
Planet found at perfect spot for life - in solar system with three suns

Scientists have found a planet about 4.5 times the mass of Earth that orbits in the heart of its star's habitable zone, with two other suns orbiting much farther away. Is there water or the potential for life? Perhaps. But the planet could also be a two-faced world of scorching sun and perpetual ice.
Scientists discover a real-life Tatooine orbiting two suns

But there are probably no jawas, moisture farmers, sand people, banthas, dewbacks, womp rats, sandcrawlers, a Pit of Carkoon, nor a strange old hermit who lives beyond the Dune Sea.
What will happen after sun vaporizes Earth? Scorched planets hold clues.

Scientists say they've found two planets that survived being swallowed by a red-giant star. Earth won't be so fortunate when our sun becomes a red giant in 5 billion years, but the find shows what can happen to solar systems after such dramatic events.
Mystery of supernova birth points to white dwarfs

Scientists hit "rewind" to discover how white dwarfs play a role in the evolution of a supernova.
Extrasolar planet: 18 new huge alien planets discovered

Extrasolar planet discoveries have boosted by 50 percent the number of known planets orbiting massive stars. Extrasolar planets are those outside of our solar system.
Emissions show rate at which Milky Way makes stars

NASA's twin Voyager spacecraft have given astronomers their first direct look at emissions important for estimating the rate at which the Milky Way is making stars, opening a new avenue for studying star-forming regions in the galaxy.
The mystery of the humongous Christmas space explosion

On Christmas Day 2010, NASA's Swift satellite detected a massive, sustained gamma-ray burst whose cause still leaves astronomers baffled.
ALMA telescope poised to peer into hidden corners of the cosmos

The ALMA radio telescope array set to come on line this week will give astronomers an unprecedented look into areas of the universe obscured from other telescopes – from star nurseries in other galaxies to the black hole at the center of the Milky Way.
Discovery that universe is expanding faster and faster earns physics Nobel

Three astronomers will share the Nobel prize in physics, for their finding that the universe's post-Big Bang expansion is neither slowing nor retreating, but is speeding up.
Fried egg nebula: European telescope captures image of monster star [VIDEO]

Fried egg nebula: The European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope has spotted a massive yellow hypergiant star surrounded by a dusty double shell, prompting astronomers to think of breakfast.
Tatooine for real? Scientists confirm planet orbiting two suns.

Tatooine is the mythical home of Luke Skywalker. Now, scientists have identified a planet in a binary system 200 light-years away, although the planet is more like Saturn in mass and makeup.
Brown dwarf star wracked by most violent weather seen on another world

Brown dwarf: Over a period of several hours, the star exhibited the largest brightness variations ever seen on a cool brown dwarf.
Super-Earth: Newly discovered planet could potentially support life

Super-Earth: The newfound haul of alien planets includes 16 super-Earths, which are potentially rocky worlds that are more massive than our planet. One in particular has captured astronomers' attention because it orbits at the edge of its star's habitable zone, suggesting conditions could be ripe to support life.