A new study of a rare and short-lived type of galaxy has found that such objects harbor dormant supermassive black holes that briefly wake up and tear apart a massive star, devouring its remains as a giant cosmic breakfast. “Compact Symmetric Objects,” or CSOs, are active galaxies where two jets explode at nearly the speed… Read More »
A neutron star is the remains of a once massive star that died in a supernova explosion. As a whole, neutron stars are considered some of the most extreme objects in the known universe – and this is especially true when these incredibly dense stellar remnants exist alongside companion stars (that are not yet “dead”)… Read More »
Astronomers have observed a supermassive black hole in Earth’s cosmic backyard, shooting jets of matter at speeds close to the speed of light. These outbursts tell the story of the struggle for supremacy between magnetism and gravity. This discovery could help scientists better understand how black holes feed on matter and eject powerful jets that… Read More »