![An expanding cloud of debris from a supernova](jpg/snr0519c72e.jpg)
Surprising Supernova Scars Cover the Earth
A supernova showering Earth with radioactive debris is a surprisingly common cosmic occurrence
Surprising Supernova Scars Cover the Earth
A supernova showering Earth with radioactive debris is a surprisingly common cosmic occurrence
We’ve Finally Seen Matter Plunge into a Black Hole
For the first time, scientists observed matter’s free fall into a black hole’s “plunging region”
How Can You ‘See’ a Black Hole?
How do astronomers find the darkest objects in the universe?
Don’t Panic—At Least, Not about a Nearby Supernova
An exploding star is a catastrophe on a cosmic scale, but here on Earth we’re safe from such astral disasters—for now
Meet HELIX, the High-Altitude Balloon That May Solve a Deep Cosmic Mystery
Every now and then, tiny particles of antimatter strike Earth from cosmic parts unknown. A new balloon-borne experiment launching this spring may at last find their source
Our Galaxy’s Biggest Black Hole Just Got a New Close-up. What’s Next Could Be Even Wilder
As the Event Horizon Telescope pursues ambitious upgrades, the project’s latest results reveal the magnetic fields around our galaxy’s supermassive black hole
Behold, the Mind-Blowing Bubbles of Betelgeuse
Giant bubbles erupting across this red supergiant star’s surface could solve a lingering astrophysical mystery
Do Stars Outnumber the Sands of Earth’s Beaches?
Figuring out whether there are more stars in the universe than sand grains on Earth’s seashores requires math—and imagination
First-Ever Magnetic Map of Milky Way’s Black Hole Reveals a Mystery
Polarized light from Sagittarius A*, our galaxy’s supermassive black hole, shows swirling magnetic fields that may hint at the presence of an unseen jet
A Dead Star Will Soon Spark a Once-in-a-Lifetime Display in Earth’s Skies
A nova called T Coronae Borealis spectacularly erupts every 80 years. Your only chance to see it will come any day now
Don’t Panic, But A Lot of Stars Seem to Eat Their Own Planets
At least one in a dozen binary stars shows signs of eating their planets
Voyager 1’s Immortal Interstellar Requiem
NASA is reaching across more than 15 billion miles to rescue its malfunctioning Voyager 1 probe—but this hallowed interstellar mission can’t live forever