Planetary scientists looking at Earth’s 6 336 light-years can help scientists learn more about whether there is a large “Planet Nine” or “Planet X” clinging to the outside of our solar system. Why it’s important: Scientists have been searching for the supposed new planet for years. The new characteristic of …
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While looking deep into the heart of the galaxy, astronomers have seen the fastest star ever. This thing scurries through space; at one point in the orbit it moves at a staggering 24,000 kilometers per second – more than 85 one million kilometers per hour! That is 8% the speed …
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The smoking gun (in a sense, literally) may have been found for the reason why Betelgeuse, everyone’s favorite red supergiant star, evaporated so dramatically earlier this year: Dust. A lot of it. It’s been 75 years since 2020, here’s an update: Betelgeuse is one of the brightest stars in the …
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Astronomers have discovered a mysterious stream of ancient stars on the distant edges of the galaxy – a strange star race so unlike any we’ve seen before, they may well be the last of their kind. This unusual collection of stars, called the ‘Phoenix current’, after the constellation Phoenix in …
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Researchers from the European Southern Observatory have captured the first images of a planetary system with multiple exoplanets. The system revolves around a star that closely resembles our sun, only younger. Observing these alien systems will teach scientists how systems like ours formed and evolved over time. The technology for …
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