The end of everything: 5 ways the universe could be destroyed

Everything has to end eventually – but does that include the universe itself? And if so, how? And when? It might be hard to imagine a catastrophe big enough to affect the entirety of existence, but physicists do expect it all to end at some point – and… Continue reading The end of everything: 5 ways the universe could be destroyed

Hubble spots most distant single star ever seen, near dawn of universe

Hubble has spotted the most distant single star ever seen, about 12.9 billion light-years from Earth. The light from this star was emitted not long after the Big Bang, and has been magnified by a foreground galaxy and stretched out by the expansion of … Continue reading Hubble spots most distant single star ever seen, near dawn of universe

Is the universe’s dark matter hiding in primordial black holes?

A new model by a team of scientists led by Yale University suggests that the ever elusive dark matter that has so far escaped the detection of scientists may be trapped inside primordial black holes left over after the Big Bang.Continue ReadingCategory… Continue reading Is the universe’s dark matter hiding in primordial black holes?

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

Dark matter or cooling “primordial soup” could create gravitational waves

Just a few months ago, scientists reported the detection of very low-frequency gravitational waves. Now a pair of German astrophysicists has investigated two intriguing possible sources – the universe cooling down after the Big Bang, and a field of par… Continue reading Dark matter or cooling “primordial soup” could create gravitational waves

How old is the universe? New studies disagree by a billion years

The universe likes to play coy about its age, but astronomers believe they have a pretty good idea of the range. Now, a series of new studies has investigated the question using different methods – and they’ve come up with two different answers, separa… Continue reading How old is the universe? New studies disagree by a billion years

Did dark matter arise before the Big Bang?

Few things are as mysterious as dark matter, the strange substance that appears to outnumber ordinary matter by a ratio of five to one. Now, a physicist from Johns Hopkins University has outlined a new theory that helps to explain the stuff b… Continue reading Did dark matter arise before the Big Bang?