Pulsar rocked by billion-tonne asteroid

A pulsar 37,000 light-years away has been hit by a billion-tonne asteroid.  Astronomers made the discovery while studying the dusty, high-radiation environment surrounding the tiny spinning husk of the pulsar PSR J0738-4042.

Star-rich galaxy found from universe's early years

Astronomers have found an old and distant galaxy that is believed to date back to a time when the universe was just 650 million years old, a fraction of its current age.  The galaxy, known as Abell 2744_Y1, is about 30 times smaller than the Milky Way, but pumping out stars at a prodigious rate.

Prehistoric carnivore had 'steak knife' teeth

Before dinosaurs walked the Earth, Dimetrodon lived at what are now the southwestern United States and parts of Europe between 298 million and 272 million years ago.

Brown dwarf weather map

The first weather map of an unusual type of star called a brown dwarf has revealed a world where it rains molten iron. A brown dwarf is a low-temperature star that has failed to accumulate enough mass to reach the core temperatures and pressures needed to ignite. Some astronomers suggest brown dwarfs bridge the gap between the largest planets and the smallest stars.

Prairie dogs may do version of “the wave” as alertness test

Black-tailed prairie dogs use a “jumping display” that spreads through their community to test how alert their neighbours are for predators.