Cataloged as VHS 1256 b, the planet is about 40 light-years away and orbits not one, but two stars over a period of 10,000 years.…
Indirect evidence of dark matter around black holes
Dark matter does not emit or reflect light, nor does it interact with electromagnetic forces, making it difficult to detect, but it has been indirectly…
New mission will search for life in the Alpha Centauri system
Using the method of astrometry, monitoring the apparent position of a star in the sky for signs of wobble, indicating that gravitational forces (such as…
Small stars can also host giants like Jupiter
Stars less than half the mass of our Sun may host giant worlds like Jupiter, in conflict with the most widely accepted theory of how…
Persistent influence of supernovae on marine biodiversity
The number of exploding stars (supernovae) has significantly influenced the biodiversity of marine life over the last 500 million years. This is the gist of…
Galaxy changes rankings as the jet changes direction
A team of international astronomers has discovered a galaxy that has changed classification due to unique activity within its nucleus. The galaxy, named PBC J2333.9-2343,…
Astronomers say ‘terminator zones’ on distant planets could harbor alien life
Some exoplanets have one side permanently facing their star while the other side is in perpetual darkness. The ring-shaped border between these permanent day and…
Venus may have been as habitable as Earth, with oceans and lakes, but only 3 billion years ago.
American researchers have determined that Venus may have had oceans and lakes up to 3 billion years ago, but much shallower than those on Earth.…
Blocked worlds can support life at the day-night divide
The region that straddles the dividing line between the day and night sides of star-locked exoplanets has unique potential to support life, a new study…
How “speed demons” could help us understand our universe
New research suggests that hypervelocity stars originated in the center of the Milky Way, as a result of the interaction of a binary star and…