This image of the Helix Nebula, released on March 4, 2025, shows a potentially destructive white dwarf at the nebula's center ...

The SMITHSONIAN ASTROPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY is a part of the Smithsonian Institution which, in conjunction with the Harvard ...

Of the heavy metals spewed by dying stars, the astronomers were particularly interested in iron-60. That’s because iron-60 is ...

Kilonova explosions from neutron star collisions may damage atmospheres and threaten life if nearby, according to a new study ...

A 40-year-old space enigma has been unraveled: a white dwarf star at the center of the Helix Nebula has been annihilating a ...

Decades of constant X-ray emission from the Helix Nebula’s white dwarf suggest debris from a Jupiter-sized planet steadily rains upon the star.

A massive black hole at the heart of a galaxy in the Virgo constellation is waking up, shooting out intense X-ray flares at ...

A Michigan State University researcher saw X-rays coming from a black hole using the NASA Chandra X-Ray Observatory telescope ...

When you think of archaeology, you might picture digging through ancient ruins or exploring hidden tombs. But scientists have ...