Besides being a point of light, a star is a luminous, spherical mass of plasma, enough to hold itself together under its own gravity. On its own, though, gravitational rounding isn't enough. What ...
Scientists are using modern technology to peer heavenward. This is an Inside Science story. Since ancient times, people gazing up at the night sky have seen animals, gods and goddesses, and other ...
Most events in the universe are not fully understood, including the relatively simple process of star formation. Stars form in dense clouds of cold gas and dust. When these clouds reach a threshold ...
Molecular clouds are composed of gas and dust and serve a vital purpose in star formation. Eos, a crescent-shaped gas cloud, is located about 300 light years away from Earth and is the size of 40 ...
Scientists working with the James Webb Space Telescope discovered three unusual astronomical objects in early 2025, which may ...
The red shade shows the atomic hydrogen gas content of the galaxy, overlaid on the optical image. The atomic gas that is outside the white circle does not contribute significantly to the formation of ...
RIT astrophysicist uses AI and machine learning to hunt for systems that will lead to understanding how stars live, die, and ...
A mysterious region near the center of the Milky Way has captured the attention of astronomers. Known as Sagittarius C, this strange place holds thousands of newborn stars, huge clouds of gas, and ...