'N Sync and a Whopper

摘要

With its demurely twinkling stars, glowing planets and a moon that waxes and wanes like clockwork, the night sky seems like an awfully sedate, G-rated show. But appearances can be deceptive. Beyond the reach of the naked eye, blackholes slurp up surrounding matter, churning columns of dust and gas 6 trillion miles tall erupt in newborn stars, and galaxies cannibalize their smaller neighbors for a V-chip-worthy performance. No wonder it takes more than apretty supernova to catch astronomers' attention. Several new discoveries nevertheless manage the trick. There's nothing like the old "this blows all our theories out of the water!" ploy to command attention.