Science News

artist’s rendition of janus, the blue-tinted dead cinder of a star that is composed primarily of hydrogen on one side and helium on the other (the hydrogen side appears brighter). the peculiar double-faced nature of this white dwarf star might be due to the interplay of magnetic fields and convection, or a mixing of materials. on the helium side, which appears bubbly, convection has destroyed the thin hydrogen layer on the surface and brought up the helium underneath. Image credit: K. Miller, Caltech/IPAC

Two-Faced Star Exposed: Unusual White Dwarf Star is Made of Hydrogen on One Side and Helium on the Other

Maunakea, Hawaiʻi – In a first for white dwarfs, the burnt-out cores of dead stars, astronomers have discovered that at …
an infrared image of the quasar hsc j2236+0032 captured by jwst. Credit: Ding, Onoue, Silverman, et al.

Starlight and the First Black Holes: Researchers Detect the Host Galaxies of Quasars in the Early Universe

Maunakea, Hawaiʻi – An international team of scientists, including Chien-Hsiu Lee, staff astronomer at W. M. Keck Observatory on Maunakea, …
Life After Death: Hawaiʻi Astronomers Find a Planet that Shouldn’t Exist

Life After Death: Hawaiʻi Astronomers Find a Planet that Shouldn’t Exist

Maunakea, Hawaiʻi – When our Sun reaches the end of its life, it will expand to 100 times its current …
New Era of Exoplanet Discovery Begins with Images of ‘Jupiter’s Younger Sibling’

New Era of Exoplanet Discovery Begins with Images of ‘Jupiter’s Younger Sibling’

Maunakea, Hawaiʻi – Astronomers using W. M. Keck Observatory on Maunakea, Hawaiʻi Island have discovered one of the lowest-mass planets …
Rare Gravitational Lensing Warps Light Of Distant Supernova Into Four Images

Rare Gravitational Lensing Warps Light Of Distant Supernova Into Four Images

Maunakea, Hawaiʻi – Astronomers have captured a bizarre image of a supernova, the powerful explosion of a star, whose light …
Astronomers Capture Direct Image of Ancient Galaxy Recycling Gas to Make New Stars

Astronomers Capture Direct Image of Ancient Galaxy Recycling Gas to Make New Stars

Maunakea, Hawaiʻi – Astronomers have found direct evidence showing ancient galaxies were able to sustain star formation by recycling gas …
First Detection of Radio Waves from a Type Ia Supernova

First Detection of Radio Waves from a Type Ia Supernova

Maunakea, Hawaiʻi – A team of astronomers led by Stockholm University has discovered an unusual Type Ia supernova – or …
A Strange, Solitary Life for Young Stars at the Milky Way's Center

A Strange, Solitary Life for Young Stars at the Milky Way’s Center

Maunakea, Hawaiʻi – Stars living closest to the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way have no …
Star Eats Planet, Brightens Dramatically

Star Eats Planet, Brightens Dramatically

Astronomers Spot First Direct Evidence of a Star Engulfing Its Planet Maunakea, Hawaiʻi – For the first time, astronomers have …
New Exoplanet-Hunting Technique Leads to Successful Direct Image of a Super-Jupiter

New Exoplanet-Hunting Technique Leads to Successful Direct Image of a Super-Jupiter

Maunakea, Hawaiʻi – Astronomers have developed a new method for finding exoplanets whose portraits can be taken from Earth using …
First Ever 3D Map of Messier 87 Galaxy Assembled

First Ever 3D Map of Messier 87 Galaxy Assembled

Maunakea, Hawaiʻi – A UC Berkeley-led team of astronomers has for the first time measured the three-dimensional shape of Messier …
A Strange Streak of Young Stars is Evidence of a Runaway Supermassive Black Hole, Study Finds

A Strange Streak of Young Stars is Evidence of a Runaway Supermassive Black Hole, Study Finds

Maunakea, Hawaiʻi – Astronomers have spotted a candidate supermassive black hole running away from its home galaxy, hurtling through space …