Animation of Black Hole Disk Flare in OJ 287

Solved: Astronomers Identify Origin of Mysterious Flares in Galaxy OJ 287

In a distant galaxy, a cosmic dance between two supermassive black holes emits periodic flashes of light.
Photograph: Charli D'Amelio attends the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards at The Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California, which was broadcast live on FOX on May 27, 2021. 

Source: Getty

The Real Appeal of Reality Stars

Reality shows bring "ordinary people" into our homes as entertainment, presenting celebrity to us "cafeteria-style."
NSF early star rendering

The Earliest Stars

Astronomers who noticed a slight blip in space's background radiation got an insight not just into the early stars but into the age and nature of the early universe.
Neutron star collision

A Primer on Neutron Stars

In the far off constellation of Hydra; two neutron stars collided, producing vast clouds of gold and other heavy elements. What's a neutron star anyway?
The bright star Alpha Centauri and its surroundings

Sending Tiny Robots to the Nearest Star

A group of astrophysicists think they have found a way to send a probe to the newest star system, Alpha Centauri.