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supernovaesupernovae
+3+3
A star may have exploded when it ate a black hole
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A star may have exploded when it ate a black hole

Everything about this story is awesome and terrifying

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
supernovaesupernovae
+3+3
What triggers lightning? Exploding stars.

What triggers lightning? Exploding stars.

And also black holes. Yes, seriously.

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
supernovaesupernovae
+2+2
The biggest black hole merger ever detected so far rocked the Universe

The biggest black hole merger ever detected so far rocked the Universe

The gravitational waves they emitted were fiercely powerful, but where did the black holes come from?

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
supernovaesupernovae
+4+4
A red supergiant that isn’t yellow
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A red supergiant that isn’t yellow

WOH G64 has apparently kept its hue. Also, the sun does seem to be able to fry asteroids that venture too close

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
miscellanymiscellany
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How much carbon-14 is in the air around you?
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How much carbon-14 is in the air around you?

I was surprised to learn how little it actually is

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
Hubble Space TelescopeHubble Space Telescope
+4+4
NGC 3370: Stepladder to the Universe

NGC 3370: Stepladder to the Universe

Also, it’s a very pretty spiral galaxy

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
supernovaesupernovae
+2+2
A colossal explosion sent antimatter heading toward us at nearly the speed of light
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A colossal explosion sent antimatter heading toward us at nearly the speed of light

That’s a fun headline to write! The good news is we’re safe and the science is awesome.

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
supernovaesupernovae
+3+3
Stars are born in the heart
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Stars are born in the heart

A heart-shaped nebula, that is. Plus: cookie recipe!

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
supernovaesupernovae
+4+4
JWST observed an immense gamma-ray burst from a very long time ago
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JWST observed an immense gamma-ray burst from a very long time ago

An incredibly powerful explosion reached out to us from across the Universe

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
Hubble Space TelescopeHubble Space Telescope
+6+6
Happy solstice, and a gorgeous galaxy with which to measure the Universe

Happy solstice, and a gorgeous galaxy with which to measure the Universe

The longest night is now behind us, and a Hubble image of a galaxy used as a ruler

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
supernovaesupernovae
+6+6
An egg-shaped planet orbits a death star

An egg-shaped planet orbits a death star

And that’s not the only thing weird about it

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
SN2023ixf still shining, A book talk, and Daisy the sundog
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SN2023ixf still shining, A book talk, and Daisy the sundog

An image of the new and nearby supernova SN2023ixf will delight your eyeballs

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