Astrophysics

white dwarfs

Why There Are Maximum Mass Limits for Compact Objects

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In this article, we will look at why there are maximum mass limits for objects that are supported against gravity by degeneracy pressure instead of kinetic…
supernova refsdal

Supernova Refsdal: Multiply-Imaged Supernova Guide

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Supernova (SN) Refsdal — Key PointsAstronomers have been trying to understand space for thousands of years. Supernova Refsdal was the first known…
Gaia search for black holes

Gaia Astrometry: Detecting Gravitational Waves Guide

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Overview Gravitational waves (GWs) are disturbances in spacetime produced by massive objects moving asymmetrically. Only the most massive and most relativistic…
uranus spin

Why Uranus Spins on Its Side: Tilt, Theories, Models

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Uranus' Peculiar Tilt Uranus spins on its side. It has an obliquity (tilt) of 98° — its rotation axis lies closer to the ecliptic plane than any other…
black holes are not empty

VHE Gamma Rays from Sgr A*: Black Holes and CTA Observations

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Black Hole Key PointsBlack holes (BHs) have a gravitational pull so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape. BHs can be divided into two…
Solar Balmer Lines

Signature of the Sun: Analyzing the Solar Balmer Series Lines

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Introduction We are in many ways a fortunate generation having so many wonderful tools at our disposal on account of the "silicon revolution". The advent…
Sagittarius A

Calculate Sgr A* Spin from QPOs — Kerr Metric Derivation

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Introduction This Insight explains how it is possible to calculate the spin of Sagittarius A* — the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky…
sun_getting_smaller

MESSENGER Detects Sun’s Mass Loss and Solar Expansion

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Paper and context Paper discussion: Solar system expansion and strong equivalence principle as seen by the NASA MESSENGER mission. Antonio Genova, Erwan…
nightsky

Why Night-Sky Stars Often Appear Brighter Than the Sun

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Are most visible stars brighter than the Sun? A couple of weeks back, a thread was started about whether or not most of the stars we see at night are…
supernova

Star Fate: From Nebulae to White Dwarfs and Black Holes

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Star Fate: From Birth to Black Holes Stars form in vast clouds of gas and dust called nebulae. Over time gravity pulls material together until the core…