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Scientists have found a large black hole that “hiccups,” giving off plumes of gas. Analysis revealed a tiny black hole was repeatedly punching through the larger black hole’s disk of gas, causing the plumes to release. Powerful magnetic fields, to the north and south of the black hole and represented by the orange cone, slingshot the plume up and out of the disk. Each time the smaller black hole punches through the disk, it would eject another plume, in a regular, periodic pattern. Credit: Jose-Luis Olivares, MIT

Exotic Objects, Science

A galaxy’s bright flicker turned out to be two black holes dancing in the night

Comet Pons-Brooks in outburst in October

Solar System, Upcoming events

The ‘Devil Comet’ is headed our way — and that’s OK

Sir Brian May, Lord Martin Rees, Professor Mary Kaldor, and Dr. Garik Israelian pictured at the Starmus VII launch event in London.

Science, Upcoming events

Starmus unveils its program for ‘Starmus VII, The Future of our Home Planet’

Procyon.

5 lesser-known stars that are worth the time and attention

Picture of the Day

The tail of the ‘devil’

Chris Schur, taken from Payson, Arizona

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is nearing its April 21 perihelion and continues to put on a show. This 14-minute exposure with an 8-inch f/2 RASA scope reveals a yellow parabolic coma and a billowing ion tail. A pronounced kink in the ion tail marks the site of a disconnection event, where a gust in the solar wind bent the tail in a different direction.

In the Sky

The Sky This Week from April 12 to 19: Bid the winter stars goodbye

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