Exploding stars send out powerful bursts of energy − I’m leading a citizen scientist project to classify and learn about these bright flashes

Where specialized algorithms fail to classify star-borne pulses, human volunteers with just a little training can step in.

Amy Lien, Assistant Professor of Physics, University of Tampa • conversation
April 16, 2024 • ~7 min

How medieval chroniclers interpreted solar eclipses and other celestial events

Medieval scholars connected celestial events to changes that happened on the ground, such as the overthrow of the king.

Brian Tanner, Emeritus Professor of Physics at Durham University, Durham University • conversation
April 4, 2024 • ~7 min

Exploding stars are rare but emit torrents of radiation − if one happened close enough to Earth, it could threaten life on the planet

Some ancient texts record what were likely dying stars, faintly visible from Earth. If close enough, these events can disturb telescopes and even damage the ozone layer.

Chris Impey, University Distinguished Professor of Astronomy, University of Arizona • conversation
March 29, 2024 • ~9 min

Stellar murder: when stars destroy and eat their own planets

There are several ways in which stars can destroy and swallow their own planets.

Or Graur, Associate Professor of Astrophysics, University of Portsmouth • conversation
March 22, 2024 • ~6 min

‘Dark stars’: dark matter may form exploding stars – and observing the damage could help reveal what it’s made of

We may be able to find traces of dark matter star explosions.

Andreea Font, Reader in Theoretical Astrophysics, Liverpool John Moores University • conversation
March 21, 2024 • ~7 min

Our survey of the sky is uncovering the secrets of how planets are born

Astronomers have spotted a surprisingly diverse set of planet-forming disks.

Christian Ginski, Lecturer of astronomy, University of Galway • conversation
March 12, 2024 • ~7 min

A black hole discovery could force us to rethink how galaxies came to be

The discovery raises big questions about widely accepted models of galaxy formation.

Robin Smith, Senior Lecturer in Physics, Sheffield Hallam University • conversation
Feb. 27, 2024 • ~7 min

The brightest object ever observed in the night sky is a black hole that’s growing by the equivalent of one Sun a day

The extreme object could tell us more about the environment around black holes.

Philip Wiseman, Research Fellow, Astronomy, University of Southampton • conversation
Feb. 21, 2024 • ~7 min

Newborn gas planets may be surprisingly flat – new research

The observation could fill in gaps in our knowledge about planet formation.

Dimitris Stamatellos, Associate Professor in Astrophysics, University of Central Lancashire • conversation
Feb. 12, 2024 • ~5 min

Why is space so dark even though the universe is filled with stars?

An astronomer explains why space looks so dark despite containing 200 billion trillion stars.

Brian Jackson, Associate Professor of Astronomy, Boise State University • conversation
Oct. 16, 2023 • ~6 min

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