When you look at a region of the sky where stars are born, you see a cloud of gas and dust and a bunch of stars. It’s really a beautiful sight. In most places, the stars all end up being about the same mass. That mass is probably the most important factor you want to know about it. It directs how long the star will live and what its future will be like. But, what determines its mass and the mass of its siblings in a stellar nursery? Is there some governing force that tells them how massive they’ll be? It turns out that the stars do it for themselves.
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Primordial Black Holes Could Have Triggered the Formation of Supermassive Black Holes
The early moments of the universe were turbulent and filled with hot and dense matter. Fluctuations in the early universe could have been great enough that stellar-mass pockets of matter collapsed under their own weight to create primordial black holes. Although we’ve never detected these small black holes, they could have played a vital role in cosmic evolution, perhaps growing into the supermassive black holes we see today. A new study shows how this could work, but also finds the process is complicated.
Perseid meteor shower of 2022 thrills stargazers despite bright moon (photos)
Stargazers around the world captured some dazzling views of the Perseid meteor shower as it peaked overnight Friday and Saturday (Aug. 12-13)
'For All Mankind' showrunners discuss the explosive season 3 finale
What could more pivotal to NASA history than landing the first humans on Mars? As revealed in the season 3 finale of "For All Mankind," the answer could be much more terrestrial. Warning: spoilers.
See the huge solar wings of China's space station in motion above Earth (video)
China’s space station recently gained a new module and with it a pair of huge, solar energy-capturing “wings” that can rotate as the outpost orbits the Earth.
Best time to buy a camera: shop smart and save
Are you thinking of buying a camera? Here are some tips and tricks to help you save money on your next purchase.
Mars enters the evening sky tonight, here's how to find the Red Planet
Look for Mars low on the eastern horizon Saturday (Aug. 13) as the Red Planet comes into the evening sky, shining with Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus.
Moon and Jupiter get together late Sunday night
Check out the king of the planets meeting up with the moon on Aug. 14, throughout most of the night.
SpaceX launches more Starlink satellites in afternoon launch from California
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket soars downrange from Vandenberg Space Force Base on the Starlink 3-3 mission. Credit: William G. Hartenstein
SpaceX launched 46 more Starlink internet satellites on a Falcon 9 rocket Friday from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, adding more broadband relay platforms to the polar-orbiting segment of the network.
Supernova 'wreckage' blasts out cosmic rays in deep space
New evidence suggests the culprit for the cosmic assault presented by cosmic rays may be the shock waves from exploding stars.
Why Betelgeuse Dimmed
Betelgeuse, the big reddish star that is the second brightest point in the constellation Orion (after Rigel), has been puzzling astronomers for years. Starting in October 2019, Belegeuse began to dim considerably, eventually reaching 1/3rd of its normal brightness a few months later. And then, just as mysteriously, it began to brighten again and (as of February 2022) has remained in a normal brightness range. The most likely reason appeared to be a circumstellar dust cloud rather than any changes in the star’s intrinsic brightness.
Live coverage: Falcon 9 rocket counting down to liftoff from California today
Live coverage of the countdown and launch of a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California with 46 Starlink internet satellites. Text updates will appear automatically below; there is no need to reload the page. Follow us on Twitter.
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Rocket Lab plans another helicopter catch later this year
The company says data so far from May's first epic helicopter snatch shows a lot of success, even though they let it go into the water.
SpaceX preps 46 more Starlink satellites for launch into polar orbit
A view of 46 flat-packed Starlink satellites in orbit following a launch in July. Credit: SpaceX
SpaceX plans to launch a Falcon 9 rocket with 46 Starlink internet satellites into polar orbit Friday from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, continuing deployment of the company’s commercial broadband network.
Thanks to Gaia we Know Exactly how and When the Sun Will die
Our Sun is doomed. Billions of years from now, the Sun will deplete its hydrogen fuel and swell to a red giant before becoming a white dwarf. It’s a well-known story, and one astronomers have understood for decades. Now, thanks to the latest data from Gaia, we know the Sun’s future in much greater detail.
Enormous sinkhole wide enough to swallow the White House opens in Chile
A massive sinkhole measuring more than 100 feet across has opened on mining land in Chile, according to the government's geology mining service.
Remembering Donald Machholz, 1952 - 2022
Sky & Telescope honors the life of Donald Machholz, one of the premier comet-hunters of his time.
NASA satellite captures Sahara Desert dust plume over the Atlantic Ocean
NASA's Aqua satellite photographed plumes of dust being drawn from Africa's Sahara Desert and sent across the Atlantic towards the United States and the Caribbean.
How to watch NASA's Artemis 1 moon mission briefings and megarocket rollout next week
You can learn about NASA's Artemis 1 moon mission science and watch its SLS megarocket roll to the launch pad in webcasts next week.
Sending Astronauts to Venus
Crazy as it might seem, it’s a logical and thrilling prospect.
New rules needed to fix growing space debris problem, FCC says
The FCC opened a new inquiry Aug. 5 focusing on how space manufacturing may help the fight against space debris — or hinder it.
