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cosmology

A legendary cosmologist on how to find a deeper theory of the universe

Space

A legendary cosmologist on how to find a deeper theory of the universe

Nobel prizewinner Jim Peebles, who helped create our model of how the universe evolved, discusses dark matter, the value of iconoclastic ideas and the astronomical anomalies to keep your eye on

Features

Wolf-Rayet stars are known to be efficient dust producers, and the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) on NASA?s James Webb Space Telescope shows this to great effect. Cooler cosmic dust glows at the longer mid-infrared wavelengths, displaying the structure of WR 124?s nebula. The nebula is made of material cast off from the aging star in random ejections, and from dust produced in the ensuing turbulence. This brilliant stage of mass loss precedes the star?s eventual supernova, when nuclear fusion in its core stops and the pressure of gravity causes it to collapse in on itself, and then explode. As MIRI demonstrates here, Webb will help astronomers to explore questions that were previously only left to theory about how much dust stars like this create before exploding in a supernova, and how much of that dust is large enough to survive the blast and go on to serve as building blocks of future stars and planets.

Space

How galactic mysteries near and far are poised to shake up cosmology

Comment

Beatriz Nascimento Afro-Brazilian academic and activist

Space

Two books to write and the universe to decipher – 2024’s gonna be busy

Comment

Abell 370 is a distant collection of several hundred galaxies

Space

Weird cosmic clumping hints our understanding of the universe is wrong

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The Horsehead Nebula

Space

Euclid space telescope releases its first stunning full-colour images

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Space

Oddly bright burst may mean space is more transparent than we thought

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The quantum experiment that could help find evidence of the multiverse

Space

The quantum experiment that could help find evidence of the multiverse

Features

Space

How the end of the universe was completely rewritten

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The universe gets clumpier over time

Space

The universe’s evolution seems to be slowing and we don’t know why

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Space

The gravitational waves that could shed light on the cosmic dark age

Some astrophysicists have said that the discovery of the gravitational wave background could shake the foundations of physics – why is it so momentous?

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Space

A guide to cosmic fireworks, from stellar flares to black-hole beacons

Features

Space

We may have finally figured out how galaxy-scale magnetic fields arose

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Space

Time appears to run five times slower in the early universe

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Physics

Gravitational waves produce a background hum across the whole universe

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