Cosmology
Dust Ruins Another Way of Measuring Distance in the Universe
Astronomers are always searching for new ways to measure distance in the Universe, especially at the greatest distances where less…
The JWST Solves the Mystery of Ancient Light
The very early Universe was a dark place. It was packed with light-blocking hydrogen and not much else. Only when…
Astronomers Rule Out One Explanation for the Hubble Tension
Astronomers measure the Universe's expansion rate and have found a discrepancy between the speed nearby versus the speed measured in…
1,500 New Type 1A Supernova Found as Part of the Dark Energy Survey
Supernova explosions are fascinating because they're so cataclysmic, powerful, and awe-inspiring. They're Nature's summer blockbusters. Humans have recorded their existence…
Webb Sees a Supernova Go Off in a Gravitationally Lensed Galaxy – for the Second Time
Nature, in its infinite inventiveness, provides natural astronomical lenses that allow us to see objects beyond the normal reach of…
Why Was it Tricky to Know the Distances to Galaxies JWST Was Seeing?
One of the chief objectives of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is to study the formation and evolution of…
If Our Part of the Universe is Less Dense, Would That Explain the Hubble Tension?
In the 1920s, Edwin Hubble and Georges Lemaitre made a startling discovery that forever changed our perception of the Universe.…
The Early Universe Had No Problem Making Barred Spiral Galaxies
Spiral galaxies like the Milky Way are like cosmic snowflakes—no two are exactly alike. For many years, astronomers thought spirals…
There Aren’t Many Galaxies Like The Milky Way Nearby. Now We Know Why
The Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy, maybe even a grand design spiral galaxy. We can't be sure from…
If You Account for the Laniakea Supercluster, The Hubble Tension Might Be Even Larger
When you measure the Universe's expansion rate to relatively nearby galaxies against the expansion rate in the cosmic microwave background…