Hubble’s “magnum opus”: most precise measurement of universe’s expansion

NASA has released a huge new report that astronomers are calling Hubble’s magnum opus. Analyzing 30 years of data from the famous space telescope, the new study makes the most precise measurement yet of how fast the universe is expanding.Continue Readi… Continue reading Hubble’s “magnum opus”: most precise measurement of universe’s expansion

Most distant object ever seen is a mysteriously bright, ancient galaxy

Astronomers have discovered the most distant object ever seen – a strange galaxy some 13.5 billion light-years away. Known as HD1, the galaxy may house a never-before-seen population of stars, or a supermassive black hole mysteriously ahead of its time… Continue reading Most distant object ever seen is a mysteriously bright, ancient galaxy

Closest pair of supermassive black holes headed for monster merger

Astronomers have discovered the closest pair of supermassive black holes yet known – and that record has two meanings. Not only are they the closest pair to Earth, but they’re the closest to each other as well, barreling towards each other for an event… Continue reading Closest pair of supermassive black holes headed for monster merger

How the universe’s expansion may have stopped dark matter taking over

Dark matter is a core component of the universe, but how did we end up with exactly the amount needed to hold the universe together? Physicists have proposed a new mechanism where dark matter particles in the early universe converted regular matter int… Continue reading How the universe’s expansion may have stopped dark matter taking over

New model suggests black holes gain mass as the universe expands

There are many mysteries surrounding black holes, and now a team of astronomers has proposed a novel solution to one of them – why are so many observed black holes more massive than expected? A new model suggests that their growth may be “cosmologicall… Continue reading New model suggests black holes gain mass as the universe expands

Astronomers discover where a cosmic cataclysm blew a huge hole in space

Astronomers have discovered a big hole in space. New 3D visualizations of the Perseus and Taurus star-forming clouds have revealed a large cavity between them, possibly created in ancient supernova explosions.Continue ReadingCategory: Space, ScienceTag… Continue reading Astronomers discover where a cosmic cataclysm blew a huge hole in space

Never-before-detected gravitational waves hint at dark matter

A new type of gravitational wave detector running in Western Australia has recorded two rare events that might be signals of dark matter or primordial black holes. These high-frequency gravitational waves are beyond the range of most detectors and have… Continue reading Never-before-detected gravitational waves hint at dark matter

Laser pincers generate antimatter by recreating neutron star conditions

Some of the greatest mysteries in cosmology revolve around antimatter, and it’s hard to study because it’s rare and hard to produce in the lab. Now a team of physicists has outlined a relatively simple new way to create antimatter, by firing two lasers… Continue reading Laser pincers generate antimatter by recreating neutron star conditions

Putting a gravitational wave detector on the Moon could find new physics

It’s tricky business detecting gravitational waves – these ripples in the very fabric of spacetime are often drowned out by background vibrations from earthquakes, traffic and other human activity. Now a pair of astrophysicists has proposed a new locat… Continue reading Putting a gravitational wave detector on the Moon could find new physics

ESA uses spacecraft “housekeeping” data to measure cosmic rays

By studying the logs of computer malfunctions caused by high-energy particles striking their circuitry, ESA scientists have used “housekeeping” data from the Rosetta and Mars Express deep-space probes to shed new light on cosmic rays in the solar syste… Continue reading ESA uses spacecraft “housekeeping” data to measure cosmic rays