stars

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exoplanetsexoplanets
+2+2
Dinky stars don’t make giant planets, or even middle-sized giants
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Dinky stars don’t make giant planets, or even middle-sized giants

Low-mass red dwarfs show a paucity of mini-Neptunes. It’s not clear why.

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
miscellanymiscellany
+4+4
Space is way bigger than you think

Space is way bigger than you think

Go ahead and think about it. Nope, it’s bigger. Try again. Nope, still too small. This game can go on a long time.

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
dustdust
+5+5
JWST sees massive stars clearing away their dusty, gaseous birth blankets

JWST sees massive stars clearing away their dusty, gaseous birth blankets

A survey of four nearby galaxies reveals important details on how these beasts are born

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
miscellanymiscellany
+6+6
No aliens for Boyajian’s Star, and trees reach up to connect electrically with the sky
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No aliens for Boyajian’s Star, and trees reach up to connect electrically with the sky

The star seems to have settled its unsettling behavior down, and corona discharges from trees finally seen in the wild

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
supernovaesupernovae
+5+5
Record-breaking JWST observation shows the universe’s first stars were better alchemists than we thought

Record-breaking JWST observation shows the universe’s first stars were better alchemists than we thought

Astronomers find more oxygen than expected in an incredibly distant galaxy

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
supernovaesupernovae
+5+5
A low-mass star is screaming past us. Was it spat out by a supermassive black hole?
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A low-mass star is screaming past us. Was it spat out by a supermassive black hole?

It’s moving at 1.6 million kilometers per hour, and may be falling back into the galaxy

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
exoplanetsexoplanets
+3+3
Hey, is that a failed star or a super-successful planet?

Hey, is that a failed star or a super-successful planet?

Astronomers find lightweight brown dwarfs can form like planets

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
dustdust
+6+6
Happy 2^10th / 8th anniversary issue! To celebrate, here’s a DEEP discount.

Happy 2^10th / 8th anniversary issue! To celebrate, here’s a DEEP discount.

Plus: A jaw-dropping star-forming nebula courtesy of JWST

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
supernovaesupernovae
+3+3
Mini-Neptunes may be hot and solid. Also, a star blew out a LOT of stuff before exploding.
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Mini-Neptunes may be hot and solid. Also, a star blew out a LOT of stuff before exploding.

Exoplanets keep getting weirder, and a pre-supernova star expelled truly vast amounts of helium

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
white dwarfswhite dwarfs
+2+2
A naked-eye monster star turns out to be way more complicated than you’d think

A naked-eye monster star turns out to be way more complicated than you’d think

Gamma Cas is easy to spot, but hard to understand

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
exoplanetsexoplanets
+3+3
Looking for planets? On average, you’ll find one around every red dwarf
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Looking for planets? On average, you’ll find one around every red dwarf

Also: Jupiter lightning is ridiculously powerful

Philip Plait
Philip Plait
astrophotographyastrophotography
+7+7
View from a height: The Earth from Artemis II

View from a height: The Earth from Artemis II

Moon-bound astronauts get a gorgeous shot of home, with lots of fun details

Philip Plait
Philip Plait