Astronomers measure the mass of a dormant black hole, our solar system's lost protoplanet, and more science stories

Article excerpt

Astronomers have measured the mass of a dormant black hole, a rare feat for inactive black holes that typically elude detection. Researchers also tracked down evidence of a protoplanet that vanished from our solar system billions of years ago, solving a long-standing puzzle about the early formation of our planetary neighborhood. These findings, along with other recent discoveries, highlight how telescopes and theoretical models are steadily filling gaps in our understanding of the cosmos, from nearby stellar phenomena to the architecture of planetary systems.