Cosmology
Astronomers Gear Up to Grapple with the High-Tension Cosmos
A debate over conflicting measurements of key cosmological properties is set to shape the next decade of astronomy and astrophysics
Cosmology704 articles archived since 1845
Cosmology
Astronomers Spot Most Distant Galaxy Yet, 13.5 Billion Light-Years from Earth
The surprisingly bright galaxy, called HD1, may contain some of the universe’s first stars, as well as a supermassive black hole
Cosmology
Hubble Space Telescope Spots Most Distant Star Ever Seen
Called Earendel, the star is nearly 13 billion light-years from Earth
Cosmology
New Result Casts Doubt on ‘Cosmic Dawn’ Claim
Fresh data suggest instrumental errors may have mimicked a purported signal from the universe’s first stars
Cosmology
The James Webb Space Telescope Could Solve One of Cosmology’s Deepest Mysteries
The observatory’s unprecedented infrared measurements might at last bridge a growing rift between astronomers over how fast the universe is expanding
Cosmology
Astronomers Spot Two Dust Bunnies Hiding in the Early Universe
The scientists found several previously hidden galaxies that date back to 13 billion years ago—and many more might be missing from our current census of the early universe.
Cosmology
Galaxy Collisions Preview Milky Way’s Fate
New revelations about how galaxies collide show what might happen when our galaxy meets Andromeda
Cosmology
Was Our Universe Created in a Laboratory?
Developing quantum-gravity technologies may elevate us to a “class A” civilization, capable of creating a baby universe
Cosmology
The Kavli Prize Presents: Understanding the Universe [Sponsored]
Ewine van Dishoeck received the Kavli Prize in Astrophysics in 2018 for elucidating the life cycle of interstellar clouds and the formation of stars and planets. What other mysteries of space are left to be uncovered?...
Cosmology
New Type of Dark Energy Could Solve Universe Expansion Mystery
Hints of a previously unknown, primordial form of the substance could explain why the cosmos now seems to be expanding faster than theory predicts
Cosmology
When Physicists Follow Their Gut
Fred Hoyle and George Gamow were brilliant iconoclasts who reached opposite conclusions about the expanding universe (for the record, Gamow was right)
Astronomy
This Report Could Make or Break the Next 30 Years of U.S. Astronomy
A battle for the future of American stargazing is about to begin—and the stakes are sky high
Black Holes
Death by Primordial Black Hole
If such an object a mere 1,000 times bigger than an atom passed through your body, the result would not be pretty
Cosmology
The Cosmological Constant Is Physics’ Most Embarrassing Problem
Physicists have new ideas about why the energy of empty space is so much weaker than it is predicted to be
Astrophysics
Giant Galaxies from the Universe’s Childhood Challenge Cosmic Origin Stories
Large galaxies are thought to form gradually, across billions of years of cosmic time. So why do astronomers keep finding them in the youthful early universe?
Cosmology
Ancient Galaxy Clusters Offer Clues about the Early Universe
Astronomers can’t understand how distant galaxies grew so big so fast
Particle Physics
Antimatter Discovery Reveals Clues about the Universe’s Beginning
New evidence from neutrinos points to one of several theories about why the cosmos is made of matter and not antimatter
Particle Physics
Weird Neutrino Behavior Could Explain Long-standing Antimatter Mystery
But more data are needed before physicists know for sure
Black Holes
Did Astronomers Just Discover Black Holes from the Big Bang?
Gravitational waves attributed to the collision of two neutron stars could have been produced by something much stranger
Particle Physics
Supergravity Snags Super Award: $3-Million Special Breakthrough Prize
The theory, which emerged in the 1970s as a way to unify the fundamental forces of nature, has profoundly shaped the landscape of particle physics
