Alpha particles, as the nuclei of the helium atom are also called, play a decisive role in the formation of heavier elements. Carbon, for instance, is formed from the fusion of these alpha particles.

In a new study, astronomers report novel evidence regarding the limits of planet formation, finding that after a certain point, planets larger than Earth have difficulty forming near low-metallicity ...

Galaxies “waste” large amounts of heavy elements generated by star formation by ejecting them up to a million light years away into their surrounding halos and deep space, according to a new study led ...

First identified in the early 19th century, the Helix Nebula is one of the closest to Earth, located about 650 light-years ...

In an ejection that would have caused its rotation to slow, a magnetar is depicted losing material into space in this artist’s concept. The magnetar’s strong, twisted magnetic field lines (shown in ...

Simulation studies indicate water formation within the first 200 million years of the universe, primarily through supernovae from the first generation of stars. Pair-instability supernovae, occurring ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio – In a new study, astronomers report novel evidence regarding the limits of planet formation, finding that after a certain point, planets larger than Earth have difficulty forming near ...

"We must rethink how we create computer models for planet formation and early evolution in the young universe." When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s ...

Researchers have found that stars in the early universe may have formed from 'fluffy' molecular clouds. Using the ALMA telescope to observe the Small Magellanic Cloud -- whose environment is similar ...

We often think of gold as a precious metal that we find here on Earth, but its journey might actually start from a massive cosmic explosion. For a long time, scientists believed that the rare ...