New measurement of Hubble constant adds to cosmic mystery
New measurements of the rate of expansion of the universe add to a growing mystery: Estimates of a fundamental constant made with different methods keep giving different results.
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How to spot a wormhole (if they exist)
Whether wormholes exist is up for debate. But in a recent article, physicists describe a technique for detecting these pathways.
Read moreMonstrous galaxy from dawn of the universe accidentally discovered
The early universe is filled with monsters, a new study revealed. Researchers discovered a previously invisible galaxy, and perhaps a new galaxy population waiting to be discovered.
Read moreNew understanding of the evolution of cosmic electromagnetic fields
Electromagnetism was discovered 200 years ago, but the origin of the very large electromagnetic fields in the universe is still a mystery.
Read more2019 Nobel Prize in Physics: Evolution of the universe and discovery of exoplanet orbiting solar-type star
This year's Nobel Prize in Physics is being awarded "for contributions to our understanding of the evolution of the universe and Earth's place in the cosmos," with one half to James Peebles "for theoretical discoveries in physical cosmology" and the other half jointly to Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz "for the discovery of an exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star."
Massive filaments fuel the growth of galaxies and supermassive black holes
Based on direct observations researchers have discovered massive filaments between galaxies in a proto-cluster, extending over more than 1 million parsecs and providing the fuel for intense formation of stars and the growth of super massive black holes within the proto-cluster.
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 moreCrucial role of recycling in the evolution of life in our universe
New research by astrophysicists reveals how the gas and energy expelled by stars are returned to the universe, and in what forms. It also found that the elements produced by dying stars are transferred through a process of fragmentation and recycled into new stars and planets.
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