Astronomers have observed what they believe is a triple-star system in space surrounded by a chaotic disc of dust that could form planets. The stars orbit each other and the dust disc is shredded in different directions. The researchers believe there’s enough material orbiting these stars to make 30 Earths. On Earth, we see one …
A scientist has crunched the numbers to estimate when the universe will “die,” or fizzle out with no more star activity whatsoever. The last supernova will be a “black dwarf supernova” which will be more of a fizzle than a blast, but it’s still very far off. It’ll be trillions upon trillions of years before …
A new cosmic structure was just discovered that may hold an incredible number of galaxies, stars, and planets. The structure is now known as the South Pole Wall, and it resides in an area that is obscured from our view by our own Milky Way galaxy. The discovery was made using data showing the movement …
Hubble reveals secrets of the early universe, with images that show primordial stars developed far earlier than previously thought. By peering back in time to between 500 million and 1 billion years of the Big Bang, researchers discovered evidence of early galaxies that shouldn’t have existed yet, based on their assumptions. In the future, new …
An astronomer has calculated what he believes are the odds that life exists elsewhere in the universe, and they’re quite favorable. Based on his calculations, David Kipping of Columbia University says the odds of some form of extraterrestrial life are around 9:1 in favor. The odds of intelligent life, while still favorable, are lower at …
Astronomers discovered that old, massive galaxies tend to be messy and disorderly, and set out to explain why. Computer simulations revealed that large ancient galaxies have likely been swallowing up their smaller neighbors for billions of years. This case of “cosmic munchies” results in unpredictable movement and a messy appearance. Visit BGR’s homepage for more …
Figuring out how our reality took shape over billions of years is no easy task for scientists. Theories about how the Big Bang played out and the immediate aftermath are a dime a dozen, but researchers led by a team from the University of Arizona think they might stumble upon some of the secrets of …
Considering we can’t actually see the Milky Way from the outside — since, you know, we’re in it — astronomers know a surprising amount about our home galaxy. They know its overall structure, where we are in it, and what likely lies deep in its heart (spoiler: it’s probably a supermassive black hole). Now, researchers …
These days, scientists think they have a pretty good idea of what the universe is made of. By detecting the telltale signatures of various elements in celestial bodies like stars, asteroids, and other planets, scientists can estimate how abundant or rare each of the known elements is. Iron, however, has proven to be tricky to …
Everyone’s had a moment or two in their lives where they pull off an incredible feat but can’t explain how they did it. Perhaps it was a near-superhuman catch in a softball game or acing a test without studying. In any case, it’s happened to all of us, and now a group of astrophysicists is …
