December 3, 2009
Black Hole Quasar Building Galaxy
A study in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics finds that a distant quasar, powered by a black hole, is building a galaxy that will eventually surround the black hole. Cynthia Graber reports
Galaxies
EvolutionDecember 1, 2009
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Books and recommendations from Scientific American
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Space & PhysicsDecember 1, 2009
Portrait of a Black Hole
By adapting a global network of telescopes, astronomers will soon get their first look ever at the dark silhouette of a black hole
Space & PhysicsNovember 24, 2009
Numerous "Tramp" Stars Adrift in Intergalactic Space Could Await Discovery
So-called tramp stars, flung from their galaxies in past gravitational interactions, could exist in great numbers outside the Milky Way Galaxy
Space & PhysicsNovember 9, 2009
Colliding White Dwarfs May Mimic Supernovae Used to Gauge Astronomical Distances
A new path to detonate "standard candle" type Ia supernovae further muddles their origins
Space & PhysicsNovember 3, 2009
Emission Impossible?: Is Dark Matter Behind the Hazy Radiation at the Milky Way's Center?
Some unknown astrophysical process, perhaps related to dark matter, may be at work
Space & PhysicsNovember 1, 2009
The Long-Lost Siblings of the Sun
The sun was born in a family of stars. What became of them?
Space & PhysicsOctober 28, 2009
Astronomical Artifact: Most Distant Object Yet Detected Carries Clues from Early Universe
A stellar explosion spotted in April took place 13 billion years ago
The SciencesOctober 28, 2009
An intergalactic race in space and time
A burst of γ-rays lets scientists test quantum theories of gravity.
The SciencesOctober 27, 2009
Dark energy rips cosmos and agencies
An international space mission to study an astronomical mystery is foundering.
The SciencesOctober 27, 2009
US physicists propose astrophysics goals
Dark energy and dark matter prove popular choices for funding.
The SciencesOctober 20, 2009
Researchers Create an Electromagnetic "Black Hole" the Size of a Salad Plate
A collection of metamaterial rings efficiently absorbs microwave radiation the way black holes gobble up matter and light, and an optical-light analogue may not be far behind