Observatory

Black holes are mysterious objects: just when we think we understand how big they can get, we go and find new ones that bend the rules. Now, astronomers have found a stellar black hole in our galaxy that’s so big it defies explanation.

If it was in our solar system, the orbit of exoplanet HR 5183 b would swing from the asteroid belt to way out beyond Neptune.

In 1974, astronomers used the Arecibo Observatory to beam a message from humanity to the stars, in one of the most well-known attempts to contact possible alien life. For the 44th anniversary of the Arecibo Message, scientists are reaching out to the public for help in designing an updated version.

A new exoplanet hunting tool​ has been installed onto an Australian telescope. Dubbed Veloce, the instrument looks out for the wobble of a star caused by the gravitational tug of orbiting planets, and it specializes in red dwarfs, the most common type of star in the universe.

Dutch firm Diana Yacht Design recently revealed its latest superyacht concept. Dubbed Beyond, this striking 60-meter (196-ft) explorer yacht has been conceived to not only reach all corners of the world, but to also feature a first-of-its-kind built-in observatory.

In the 1830s, astronomers noticed that the star Eta Carinae seemed to go supernova, but it strangely survived the explosion. Thanks to the weirdness of space, modern astronomers have discovered that Eta Carinae’s outburst may have been the star violently cannibalizing a sibling.

In August 2017, astronomers observed a collision between two neutron stars so powerful it produced gravitational waves, flares in visible light, radio waves, x-rays and a gamma ray burst. Now that things have quietened, astronomers have studied the strange object created in the cosmic collision.

The launch of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has been delayed once again, with a new window set for May 2020. The next-generation space telescope had previously been set to launch into orbit atop an Ariane 5 rocket from ESA’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, in the Spring of 2019.

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are strange, extremely bright and mysterious signals from space. Now, astronomers at Australia’s Parkes Observatory have recorded three new signals in relatively quick succession – one of which is the brightest FRB ever detected.

Last year astronomers around the world witnessed the merger of two neutron stars as gravitational waves, light, radio and gamma rays, but the aftermath of the mashup hasn’t played out quite as expected. Rather than fade over time, the afterglow has continued to brighten.

One of the world's most powerful radio telescopes is back online months after sustaining hurricane damage. The 1,000-ft (305-m) Arecibo Observatory was damaged when Hurricane Maria made landfall, but has restarted its Arecibo Observatory Planetary Radar, which scans potentially dangerous asteroids.

Here's something for backyard stargazers to drool over. Gemma Observatory is a private astronomical hideaway perched atop a remote mountain in New Hampshire that combines responsive design with functional smarts to make a unique platform for exploring the night sky.