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19 results for "cosmic mystery"
Military satellites designed to detect secret nuclear tests accidentally discovered gamma-ray bursts, the most powerful explosions in the universe. This cosmic surprise opened an entirely new field of astronomy.
For the first time in nearly 20 years of searching, scientists have definitively detected gamma rays from a rare superluminous supernova, solving a cosmic mystery about what powers these exceptionally bright stellar explosions. The culprit: a newborn magnetar with the strongest magnetic field in the universe.
Scientists discovered how massive star groups escape their birth clouds millions of years faster than smaller ones, potentially solving a cosmic mystery about how the universe lit up again after the Big Bang. The findings could explain what happened during a crucial period 500 million years after creation.
Scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope just solved a cosmic mystery that shouldn't exist. Two planets orbiting together are rewriting what we know about how solar systems form.
Scientists discovered the universe's biggest black holes form through violent collisions in densely packed star clusters, not from dying stars alone. Gravitational wave detectors revealed two distinct black hole populations, solving a cosmic mystery about how these giants grow.
A group of undergrads at the University of Hamburg just proved you don't need a massive lab to hunt for dark matter. Their scrappy, student-funded detector produced real scientific data that helps narrow the search for one of physics' biggest mysteries.
The James Webb Space Telescope found a supergiant planet that collected metal-rich materials as it formed, solving a cosmic mystery about how the universe's largest planets are born. This discovery could rewrite our understanding of planet formation.
NASA's Webb Space Telescope just solved a cosmic mystery about a planet 15 times heavier than Jupiter. Scientists proved it formed the same way Earth did, rewriting what we thought possible for giant planets.
Three amateur astronomers in Queensland made history by becoming the first citizen scientists to discover a planetary ring, proving that world-changing discoveries can happen in your own backyard. Their finding helped solve a cosmic mystery that professional telescopes had missed.
Scientists discovered a 10-billion-year-old star still sitting in its birth galaxy, solving a cosmic mystery about how carbon became the building block of all life. The findings explain why this essential element ended up spread throughout the universe.
Scientists finally figured out why a neighboring galaxy has been spinning strangely for decades. A catastrophic collision with its larger sister galaxy millions of years ago left it reeling in a cosmic twist.
Astronomers have discovered a rare planetary system in its "adolescent" phase, offering the first real look at how planets transform from youth to maturity. The 210-million-year-old system is shedding light on a cosmic mystery scientists have never been able to study before.
Scientists just solved a cosmic mystery: Saturn's largest moon Titan might have formed when two ancient moons collided half a billion years ago. This discovery could explain Titan's smooth surface, shifting orbit, and even how Saturn got its famous rings.
Scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope discovered a cosmic mystery with a brilliant solution: one distant galaxy appearing four times in a single image, each snapshot revealing a different moment across 130 years. This gravitational magic trick is helping solve one of astronomy's hottest puzzles.
Scientists discovered a giant "Red Potato" galaxy that mysteriously stopped forming stars despite floating in a gas-rich cosmic neighborhood. The James Webb Space Telescope revealed this cosmic puzzle could unlock secrets about how galaxies evolve in the early universe.
A massive star once thought to be on the verge of exploding is actually thriving, new research reveals. Scientists now believe a hidden companion star may be behind the cosmic mystery.
Scientists using a powerful telescope discovered what everyone thought was a dying star is actually a newborn one, rewriting our understanding of a cosmic mystery 4,500 light-years away. The find also helped solve a decades-old puzzle about measuring stellar explosions.
Researchers have pinpointed exactly where a massive black hole launches its incredible 3,000-light-year jet stream, solving a cosmic mystery. The discovery could finally explain how black holes create jets that travel near light speed.
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope solved a cosmic mystery by watching a young star create and fling Earth-like minerals across space. The discovery explains how frozen comets at the edge of our solar system ended up packed with crystals that form only in extreme heat.