Neutron star and black hole masses in binary systems are calculable using Kepler's laws of motion, based on orbital parameters and object speeds. Merging neutron stars or black holes emit ...

In a groundbreaking study published inNature Astronomy, astronomers have identified the lowest-mass dark object ever ...

Dark matter is an enigmatic form of matter not expected to emit light, yet it is essential to understanding how the rich ...

Using a global network of telescopes, astronomers have detected the lowest-mass dark object yet found in the universe.

The object was detected by observing how its gravity distorts light behind it. Astronomers have discovered an extremely faint ...

Gauging the mass of a black hole is tricky, but astronomers have devised multiple methods to measure the heft of these ...

In science, there are thousands of ways to measure the world around us that the average person may never encounter. For example: Pascals to measure pressure, Candles to measure light intensity, and ...

Astronomers cannot directly weigh celestial objects like galaxies; indirect methods are necessary. Mass determination leverages the relationship between gravity and mass, utilizing orbital periods and ...

Speed can make objects act as if they have more mass, but can you ever make an object appear to have less mass? It’s true that speeding an object up to considerable fractions of the speed of light ...

This is a good question, and also a good reminder to be careful with one’s language when writing about physics! Most of the time, if you’re reading an article, what we mean by mass and rest mass is ...

It's fun to think about how we know stuff. For instance, the sun has a mass of about 2 x 10 30 kilograms. That is such an enormous mass that it's difficult to comprehend. And if it's so difficult for ...