Carbon monoxide is often detected near young stars, but the gas is usually spread through the planet-forming disk. What’s different about this ring is that it is shaped more like a rope than a dinner plate, said Charles Cowley, professor emeritus in the University of Michigan who led the international research effort.

New submillimeter array's combining several dishes to act as one large telescope, has for the first time delivered images from the inside of stellar nureries

Meteorite contains evidence of formation of sulfur molecules derived from the ejecta of a supernova explosion

The UA's Catalina Sky Survey keeps a watchful eye on asteroids that might cross the Earth's path. A byproduct of that effort is the largest database compiling the brightnesses of 200 million objects in the universe, including supernovae and stars torn up by super-massive black holes.