Astronomers discover that stars repeatedly orbiting near supermassive black holes survive each encounter, suggesting that their prior rapid rotation explains both the fading flares and their extraordinarily close orbits.
Astronomers have discovered stars that repeatedly orbit near supermassive black holes, surviving each encounter while producing new bursts of light. In some systems, these flares mysteriously fade with each return.
Researchers now believe that the key could be stars that were already spinning extremely rapidly before being captured. That rapid rotation could explain both the fading of the flares and the way the stars ended up in such extraordinarily close orbits around the black hole.
Researchers have identified an unusual gamma ray signal that could be the most direct evidence of dark matter yet, though it could also result from a telescope anomaly or an even stranger phenomenon.
A new approach called block chemistry could revolutionise molecular synthesis by enabling automation, artificial intelligence-guided discovery and participation of non-specialists, while scientists work to establish safety measures for its responsible use.
Research examines how Second World War mobilisation in eight Allied and Axis nations led to today's modern resource-intensive economies.