UCL astronomers from the Mullard Space Science Laboratory (MSSL) have captured information from the early stages of a gamma ray burst – the most violent and luminous explosions occurring in the universe since the Big Bang – using a telescope aboard the NASA Swift Satellite. picked by AutumnLotus 9 months ago

Using the powerful one-two combo of NASA’s Swift satellite and the Gemini Observatory, astronomers have detected a mysterious type of cosmic explosion farther back in time than ever before. The explosion, known as a short gamma-ray burst (GRB), took place 7.4 billion years ago, more than halfway back to the Big Bang. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

Last September, a supernova burst into a cosmic flame 100 times more intense than any event on record—and left scientists scratching their heads. Now, two new studies attempt to explain the remarkable explosion. One sets up the explosion with a cannibalistic star, while the other describes how colliding layers of jettisoned gas could outshine all other supernovae. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

The US space agency's Fermi telescope has detected a massive explosion in space which scientists say is the biggest-ever gamma-ray burst. picked by AutumnLotus 9 months ago

The most powerful explosion ever observed may have been even more powerful than first thought. Nearly three weeks after the bright 'gamma-ray burst' occurred, it is still outshining its host galaxy, dumbfounding astronomers with its amazing longevity. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

Explosions of small stars, long thought to create stellar dust, actually sweep dust away, scientists discovered. For years, researchers have observed swirling dust clouds around systems called recurring novas, which periodically explode. New images of a distant nova have now overturned astronomers' long-standing assumption that the dust originates in the blasts. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

A cosmic explosion that seems to have come out of nowhere—thousands of light-years from the nearest collection of stars—has left astronomers baffled. The blast, one of the brightest this year, was detected by spacecraft from the Inter-Planetary Network on Jan. 25 and satellites were used to pinpoint its location to a region of the sky in the constellation Gemini. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

The incredible amount of energy given off across the entire electromagnetic spectrum during a gamma-ray burst is what Jonathan Grindlay of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics calls "the birth pangs of a black hole. This is the scream." picked by AutumnLotus 1 year ago

While humans are still struggling to get rid of unwanted carbon it appears that the heavens are really rather good at it. New research by astrophysicists at the University of Warwick has discovered that a mystery stellar explosion recorded in 2006 may have marked the unusual death of an equally unusually carbon-rich star. picked by AutumnLotus 6 months ago

A tiny star recently unleashed what is considered the brightest burst of light ever seen in the universe from a normal star. Shining with only 1 percent of the sun's light and boasting just a third of the sun's mass, this run-of-the-mill star previously was nothing to write home about. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

About 140 years ago, our time, a stellar explosion lit up our galaxy with a blinding flash of light, sending out powerful shock waves to boot. Now, astronomers have spotted the youthful remains from the explosion. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

A new class of cosmic object has been found by a Dutch schoolteacher, through a project which allows the public to take part in astronomy research online. Hanny Van Arkel, 25, came across the strange gaseous blob while using the Galaxy Zoo website to help classify galaxies in telescope images. picked by AutumnLotus 1 year ago

The explosion of a star halfway across the universe was so huge it set a record for the most distant object that could be seen on Earth by the naked eye. picked by dollyllama 2 years ago

Detailed images of the birth of cosmic dust were captured for the first time. A star that is about to die after a supernova explosion expels materials like cosmic dust into space, which will be the raw materials for planets and other life. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

Astronomers recently captured a supernova's blinding flash "echoing" off dust 400 light-years from the detonation site in the Large Magellanic Cloud — which means Earthly observers may have seen the original blast 400 years ago. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

There will be no need for a slow-motion replay to confirm this record-breaking feat.

Schoolgirl Tiana Walton has slithered into the record books - for having the most snails on her face at once. Eww! picked by AutumnLotus 1 year ago

With the launch of NASA's Gamma-Ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) coming up in May, the agency is offering a good overview of the history of gamma-ray observation, and why scientists are so interested in the phenomenon. picked by PulsisX 2 years ago

Astronomers have uncovered an extreme stellar machine -- a galaxy in the very remote universe pumping out stars at a surprising rate of up to 4,000 per year. In comparison, our own Milky Way galaxy turns out an average of just 10 stars per year. picked by AutumnLotus 1 year ago

The universe is thought to be 13.7 billion years old. Seeing something so far away is effectively like looking back in time. picked by Bornbad 1 year ago

UC Irvine scientists have discovered a cluster of galaxies in a very early stage of formation that is 11.4 billion light years from Earth – the farthest of its kind ever to be detected. These galaxies are so distant that the universe was in its infancy when their light was emitted. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago