Astrophysics

Observations show the disk of our galaxy is not flat but warped and waving. Astronomers are still working out the reasons why

A “superflare” 10 trillion times brighter than the sun is confirmed as the record holder for luminosity

A cosmic explosion known as GRB 250702B is by far the longest gamma-ray burst astronomers have ever seen—if it’s even one at all

Voracious supermassive black holes light up the cores of “active” galaxies across the universe. How we see them, however, is a matter of perspective

The Habitable Worlds Observatory is poised to tell us whether Earth-like planets are common—if it can get off the ground

Gauging the mass of a black hole is tricky, but astronomers have devised multiple methods to measure the heft of these galactic gluttons

A swarm of galaxies called the Bullet Cluster is the biggest, best natural laboratory for studying dark matter that astronomers have ever seen

Our understanding of cosmology hinges on how well we know our own local universe, which remains poorly mapped and poorly understood

Superluminal velocities are common but illusory

Bizarre phenomena called light echoes create strange, shifting shapes seen in some telescopic images and help astronomers chart the heavens above

Scientists are uncovering how spinning black holes launch jets, warp spacetime and shape the cosmos

Astronomers think small space rocks from beyond our solar system routinely strike Earth—but proving it isn’t easy