New 'fuzzy' dark matter research disrupts conventional thinking
New research has simulated dark matter in a new way for the first time, disrupting conventional thinking about the make-up of the universe.
Read moreAstrophysics
The violent history of the big galaxy next door
Astronomers have pieced together the cannibalistic past of our neighboring large galaxy Andromeda, which has now set its sights on the Milky Way as its next main course.
Read moreCan we peek at Schrodinger's cat without disturbing it?
Quantum physics is difficult and explaining it even more so. Researchers have now tried to solve one of the biggest puzzles in quantum physics: How to measure the quantum system without changing it?
Read moreQuantum vacuum: Less than zero energy
According to quantum physics, energy can be 'borrowed' — at least for some time. Energies lower than zero are possible, much like a bank account that can be overdrawn. There are, however, certain restrictions to that. Scientists have now shown that these restrictions are very fundamental properties of our universe and must be true for various possible quantum theories.
Read moreBlack holes and their host galaxies, growing old together
The 'special relationship' between supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and their hosts — something astronomers and physicists have observed for quite a while — can now be understood as a bond that begins early in a galaxy's formation and has a say in how both the galaxy and the SMBH at its center grow over time, according to a new study.
Read moreOldest galaxy protocluster forms 'queen's court'
Astronomers have discovered a collection of 12 galaxies which existed about 13.0 billion years ago. One of the 12 galaxies is a giant object, known as Himiko, which was named for a mythological queen in ancient Japan. This discovery suggests that large structures such as protoclusters already existed when the Universe was only about 800 million years old, 6% of its present age.
Read moreLife's building blocks may have formed in interstellar clouds
An experiment shows that one of the basic units of life — nucleobases — could have originated within giant gas clouds interspersed between the stars.
Read moreGalaxy found to float in a tranquil sea of halo gas
Using one cosmic mystery to probe another, astronomers have analyzed the signal from a fast radio burst, an enigmatic blast of cosmic radio waves lasting less than a millisecond, to characterize the diffuse gas in the halo of a massive galaxy.
Read moreScientists watch a black hole shredding a star
A satellite searching space for new planets gave astronomers an unexpected glimpse at a black hole ripping a star to shreds. The milestone was reached with the help of a worldwide network of robotic telescopes.
Read moreA black hole's warped world
A new visualization of a black hole illustrates how its gravity distorts our view, warping its surroundings as if viewed in a funhouse mirror.