This is just a small portion of the DESI map, which reveals the large-scale structure of the universe. Each dot represents a galaxy. Credit: DESI Collaboration and DESI Member Institutions/DOE/KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/R. Proctor (image); M. Zamani/NSF NOIRLab (image processing) From a mountaintop in Arizona, an army of robotic eyes has been peering into the deep past of … Read more
Credit: ESO/L. Calçada, CC BY One of the largest known stars in the universe underwent a dramatic change in 2014 and may be preparing to explode, a new study has revealed. A study published today in Nature Astronomy and led by Gonzalo Muñoz Sánchez of the National Observatory of Athens claims that the giant star … Read more
New research by Professor Enrique Gaztanaga of the University of Portsmouth and the Institute of Space Sciences in Barcelona suggests that some black holes formed before the Big Bang and survived the cosmic ‘bounce’, potentially explaining dark matter, the gravitational wave background, and the early growth of supermassive black holes and galaxies. Gaztanaga proposes a … Read more
This shimmering region of star formation is a close-up of the Trifid Nebula, about 5,000 light-years from Earth, captured in intricate detail by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. The colors in Hubble’s visible-light image, which marks the 36th anniversary of the mission’s launch on April 24, are reminiscent of an underwater scene filled with fine-grained sediment … Read more
Have you ever dreamed of witnessing the birth of the first galaxies? Perhaps you could fast-forward through billions of years of the evolution of the universe and watch those galaxies grow and form the universe we know today? Of course, unfortunately that’s not possible. But thanks to an innovative new and unique audio-visual simulation of … Read more
Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission when you buy through links in our articles. Part of DESI’s 5th year large-scale structure map of the universe. |Credit: DESI Collaboration and DESI Member Institutions/DOE/KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/R. ProctorImage Processing: M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab) simple facts What is it: Largest 3D map of the universe ever created Where … Read more
hubble tensionA stubborn contradiction between two methods of measuring the rate of expansion of the universe has long plagued modern physics. Some scientists had hoped that it would eventually resolve itself to measurement error. New findings suggest otherwise. To understand what’s at stake, we need to step back a little. In the 1920s, astronomer Edwin … Read more
Almost a century ago, famous astronomer Edwin Hubble determined that the universe was expanding at an accelerating rate. He discovered that the farther a galaxy is from Earth, the faster it appears to be moving away from us. It was an elegant observation that underpins much of today’s cosmology. But determining the exact relationship between … Read more
Sign up now and see the future Don’t miss innovations from the cutting edge of science and technology Almost a century ago, famous astronomer Edwin Hubble determined that the universe was expanding at an accelerating rate. He discovered that the farther a galaxy is from Earth, the faster it appears to be moving away from … Read more
This visualization shows how DESI’s 3D map of the universe has been accumulated over five years. It starts with DESI tiles in the night sky, each observing about 5,000 galaxies. Moving to see the observations in 3D, you’ll see how DESI maps the cosmic web of filaments and voids. The Earth is at the center … Read more