Imagine observing a distant galaxy for years when suddenly its core begins exhibiting unprecedented changes.
Keir Birchall
Keir is a freelance science writer and researcher at the University of Leicester. They earned a Ph.D. from that university by studying what affects the incidence of active black holes in populations of nearby galaxies. When not working, they can be found behind the lens of a film camera or listening to strange music.
Defining the edges of galaxies
Using a new definition of galaxy size, astronomers have uncovered new, exciting findings about how they formed and evolved.
Is the Universe running out of stars?
Astronomers are discovering that the rate of star formation in the universe is dropping, and they want to know why.
The curious case of a star-forming ring in the NGC 3182 galaxy
An unexpected finding in the heart of the NGC 3182 galaxy led to an intriguing search for the origins of a ring of star-forming gas.
First images from James Webb Space Telescope published by NASA
NASA has published the first five images from the James Webb Space Telescope, highlighting each of the key questions it will study.
Mapping the gas web of the Tarantula Nebula
New images of the Tarantula Nebula help us understand how intense star formation at its center impacts the rest of the nebula.
First glimpse of orbiting companions to X-ray binary star
The first images of the environment around an energetic X-ray binary star could help expand our understanding of planet and star formation.
Dwarf galaxy reveals new structure in the Local Void
Strange behaviour in an isolated galaxy leads to the discovery of matter in a region of space previously thought to be empty.