https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/space_time/cosmology/ Cosmology news. From deep observations of the far reaches of space and time to spectroscopic analysis and more. Read cosmology articles and consider how astronomers view the origin of the universe. en-us Mon, 09 Mar 2026 21:38:11 EDT Mon, 09 Mar 2026 21:38:11 EDT 60 https://www.sciencedaily.com/images/scidaily-logo-rss.png https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/space_time/cosmology/ For more science news, visit ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260308201613.htm Physicists have long struggled to unite quantum mechanics—the theory governing tiny particles—with Einstein’s theory of gravity, which explains the behavior of stars, planets, and the structure of the universe. Researchers at TU Wien have now taken a new step toward that goal by rethinking one of relativity’s core ideas: the paths particles follow through curved spacetime, known as geodesics. By creating a quantum version of these paths—called the q-desic equation—the team showed that particles moving through a “quantum” spacetime may deviate slightly from the paths predicted by classical relativity. Mon, 09 Mar 2026 00:16:40 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260308201613.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260308201557.htm Astronomers have created the largest and most detailed 3D map yet of a glowing signal from the early universe, revealing hidden galaxies and gas from 9-11 billion years ago. By analyzing faint “Lyman-alpha” light emitted by energized hydrogen, scientists used an advanced technique called line intensity mapping to capture not just the brightest galaxies but also the vast cosmic structures surrounding them. Sun, 08 Mar 2026 20:15:57 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260308201557.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260307213226.htm Asteroids with tiny moons may be quietly trading material across space. Images from NASA’s DART mission revealed faint streaks on the moon Dimorphos—evidence of slow “cosmic snowballs” drifting from its parent asteroid, Didymos. The discovery provides the first direct visual proof that sunlight can spin asteroids fast enough to shed debris that lands on nearby companions. It also shows that near-Earth asteroids are much more active and constantly reshaped than scientists once believed. Sun, 08 Mar 2026 00:07:30 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260307213226.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260305223236.htm For decades, astronomers wondered why most nearby galaxies are speeding away from the Milky Way instead of being pulled in by its gravity. New simulations reveal the answer: our galaxy sits in a gigantic, flat sheet of matter surrounded by huge empty voids. This hidden structure—dominated by dark matter—balances gravitational forces and lets neighboring galaxies drift outward. The discovery finally explains the puzzling motions of galaxies just beyond our Local Group. Fri, 06 Mar 2026 01:55:55 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260305223236.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260305182705.htm A sweeping new ALMA image has peeled back the veil on the Milky Way’s core, exposing a dense network of cold gas filaments near the central black hole. Stretching across 650 light-years, the survey maps the hidden fuel for star formation in remarkable detail and reveals a surprisingly complex chemical brew. This extreme region hosts some of the galaxy’s most massive, short-lived stars. The findings could help explain how stars — and even entire galaxies — formed under the universe’s most chaotic conditions. Thu, 05 Mar 2026 18:27:05 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260305182705.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260303145703.htm An international team combining two major neutrino experiments has uncovered stronger evidence that neutrinos and antimatter don’t behave as perfect mirror images. That subtle difference may hold the key to why the universe didn’t vanish in a flash of self-destruction after the Big Bang. Tue, 03 Mar 2026 19:59:36 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260303145703.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260303050635.htm Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have spotted the most distant “jellyfish galaxy” ever seen — a cosmic oddity streaming long, tentacle-like trails of gas and newborn stars as it speeds through a dense galaxy cluster. The galaxy appears as it was 8.5 billion years ago, revealing that the early universe may have been far more violent than scientists expected. Tue, 03 Mar 2026 08:25:27 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260303050635.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260228093453.htm Astronomers have long known the universe is expanding—but exactly how fast remains one of the biggest mysteries in cosmology. Different techniques for measuring the Hubble constant stubbornly disagree, creating the so-called “Hubble tension.” Now researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the University of Chicago have unveiled a bold new way to weigh in on the debate using gravitational waves—the faint ripples in spacetime produced by colliding black holes. Sun, 01 Mar 2026 07:55:42 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260228093453.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260227071931.htm Astronomers have spotted what may be one of the universe’s earliest barred spiral galaxies — a striking cosmic structure forming just 2 billion years after the Big Bang. The galaxy, COSMOS-74706, dates back about 11.5 billion years and contains a stellar bar, a bright, linear band of stars and gas stretching across its center, similar to the one in our own Milky Way. Fri, 27 Feb 2026 12:15:06 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260227071931.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260217005751.htm Scientists scanning the heart of the Milky Way have spotted a tantalizing signal: a possible ultra-fast pulsar spinning every 8.19 milliseconds near Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at our galaxy’s core. Pulsars act like incredibly precise cosmic clocks, and finding one in this extreme environment could open a rare window into how space-time behaves under intense gravity. Tue, 17 Feb 2026 06:15:42 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260217005751.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260215225537.htm New data from major dark-energy observatories suggest the universe may not expand forever after all. A Cornell physicist calculates that the cosmos is heading toward a dramatic reversal: after reaching its maximum size in about 11 billion years, it could begin collapsing, ultimately ending in a “big crunch” roughly 20 billion years from now. Mon, 16 Feb 2026 03:26:44 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260215225537.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260212234205.htm A dazzling new Hubble image peels back the layers of the mysterious Egg Nebula, a rare and fleeting phase in a Sun-like star’s death just 1,000 light-years away. Hidden inside a dense cocoon of dust, the dying star blasts twin beams of light through a polar opening, carving glowing lobes and delicate ripples into the surrounding cloud. These striking, symmetrical arcs hint that unseen companion stars may be shaping the spectacle from within. Fri, 13 Feb 2026 07:48:37 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260212234205.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260211073047.htm For millions of years, a frozen wanderer drifted between the stars before slipping into our solar system as 3I/ATLAS—only the third known interstellar comet ever spotted. When scientists turned NASA’s Swift Observatory toward it, they caught the first-ever hint of water from such an object, detected through a faint ultraviolet glow of hydroxyl gas. Even more surprising, the comet was blasting out water at a rate of about 40 kilograms per second while still far from the Sun—much farther than where most comets “switch on.” Wed, 11 Feb 2026 09:08:24 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260211073047.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260211073026.htm Deep inside a nearby galaxy cloaked in thick clouds of gas and dust, astronomers have uncovered a surprising treasure trove of organic molecules using the James Webb Space Telescope. Peering through the cosmic veil in infrared light, researchers detected an extraordinary mix of carbon-rich compounds — including benzene, methane, and even the highly reactive methyl radical, never before seen outside the Milky Way. Thu, 12 Feb 2026 00:48:01 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260211073026.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260211073019.htm A distant star system with four super-sized gas giants has revealed a surprise. Thanks to JWST’s powerful vision, astronomers detected sulfur in their atmospheres — a chemical clue that they formed like Jupiter, by slowly building solid cores. That’s unexpected because these planets are far bigger and orbit much farther from their star than models once allowed. Wed, 11 Feb 2026 07:30:19 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260211073019.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260208011014.htm A colossal ancient impact may have reshaped the Moon far more deeply than scientists once realized. By analyzing rare lunar rocks brought back by China’s Chang’e-6 mission from the Moon’s largest crater, researchers found unusual chemical fingerprints pointing to extreme heat and material loss caused by a giant impact. The collision likely stripped away volatile elements, reshaped volcanic activity, and left a lasting chemical signature deep below the surface. Sun, 08 Feb 2026 07:04:07 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260208011014.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260206012206.htm Astronomers propose that an ultra-dense clump of exotic dark matter could be masquerading as the powerful object thought to anchor our galaxy, explaining both the blistering speeds of stars near the center and the slower, graceful rotation of material far beyond. This dark matter structure would have a compact core that pulls on nearby stars like a black hole, surrounded by a broad halo shaping the galaxy’s outer motion. Sat, 07 Feb 2026 11:26:18 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260206012206.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260203020205.htm Astronomers have produced the most detailed map yet of dark matter, revealing the invisible framework that shaped the Universe long before stars and galaxies formed. Using powerful new observations from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, the research shows how dark matter gathered ordinary matter into dense regions, setting the stage for galaxies like the Milky Way and eventually planets like Earth. Tue, 03 Feb 2026 03:48:13 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260203020205.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260201231224.htm A newly detected gravitational wave, GW250114, is giving scientists their clearest look yet at a black hole collision—and a powerful way to test Einstein’s theory of gravity. Its clarity allowed scientists to measure multiple “tones” from the collision, all matching Einstein’s predictions. That confirmation is exciting—but so is the possibility that future signals won’t behave so neatly. Any deviation could point to new physics beyond our current understanding of gravity. Sun, 01 Feb 2026 23:12:24 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260201231224.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260131084138.htm Jupiter’s swirling storms have concealed its true makeup for centuries, but a new model is finally peeling back the clouds. Researchers found the planet likely holds significantly more oxygen than the Sun, a key clue to how Jupiter—and the rest of the solar system—came together. The study also reveals that gases move through Jupiter’s atmosphere much more slowly than scientists once thought. Together, the findings reshape our understanding of the solar system’s largest planet. Sat, 31 Jan 2026 10:28:57 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260131084138.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260128075355.htm JWST has revealed a strange early universe filled with ultra-bright “blue monster” galaxies, mysterious “little red dots,” and black holes that seem far too massive for their age. A new study proposes that dark stars—hypothetical stars powered by dark matter—could tie all these surprises together. These exotic objects may have grown huge very quickly, lighting up the early cosmos and planting the seeds of supermassive black holes. Wed, 28 Jan 2026 10:05:20 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260128075355.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260126075846.htm Webb’s latest image of the Helix Nebula reveals a dramatic close-up of a dying star shedding its outer layers. The detailed view highlights glowing knots of gas shaped by fast-moving stellar winds colliding with older material. Changes in color trace a shift from scorching hot gas near the center to cooler regions farther out. The scene captures how stellar death helps supply the building blocks for future worlds. Mon, 26 Jan 2026 08:32:26 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260126075846.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260125083354.htm Astronomers may have finally cracked one of the universe’s biggest mysteries: how black holes grew so enormous so fast after the Big Bang. New simulations show that early, chaotic galaxies created perfect conditions for small “baby” black holes to go on extreme growth spurts, devouring gas at astonishing rates. These feeding frenzies allowed modest black holes—once thought too puny to matter—to balloon into monsters tens of thousands of times the Sun’s mass. Mon, 26 Jan 2026 09:40:24 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260125083354.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260124003816.htm Astronomers have spotted a rare, rule-breaking quasar in the early Universe that appears to be growing its central black hole at an astonishing pace. Observations show the black hole is devouring matter far faster than theory says it should—about 13 times the usual “speed limit”—while simultaneously blasting out bright X-rays and launching a powerful radio jet. This surprising combination wasn’t supposed to happen, according to many models, and suggests scientists may be catching the black hole during a brief, unstable growth spurt. Sat, 24 Jan 2026 03:27:23 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260124003816.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260124003813.htm A distant Sun-like star suddenly went dark for months, stunning astronomers who quickly realized something massive was passing in front of it. Observations revealed a gigantic disk of gas and dust filled with vaporized metals, swirling around an unseen companion object. For the first time, scientists directly measured the motion of these metallic winds inside such a disk. The findings suggest that even ancient star systems can still experience catastrophic planetary smashups. Sat, 24 Jan 2026 22:45:03 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260124003813.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260121034125.htm New experiments reveal that protein precursors can form naturally in deep space under extreme cold and radiation. Scientists found that simple amino acids bond into peptides on interstellar dust, long before stars and planets exist. This challenges the idea that complex life chemistry only happens on planets. It also boosts the odds that life-friendly ingredients are widespread across the universe. Wed, 21 Jan 2026 09:18:29 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260121034125.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260120000318.htm After the Big Bang, the Universe entered a long, dark period before the first stars formed. During this era, hydrogen emitted a faint radio signal that still echoes today. New simulations show this signal could be slightly altered by dark matter, leaving behind a measurable fingerprint. Future radio telescopes on the Moon may be able to detect it and shed light on one of astronomy’s greatest mysteries. Tue, 20 Jan 2026 08:34:32 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260120000318.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260120000311.htm Astronomers have captured the most dramatic view yet of a planet losing its atmosphere, watching the ultra-hot gas giant WASP-121b for an entire orbit with the James Webb Space Telescope. Instead of a single stream of escaping gas, the planet is wrapped in two colossal helium tails—one trailing behind like a comet, the other stretching ahead toward its star. Tue, 20 Jan 2026 08:01:33 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260120000311.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260119215510.htm A nearby active galaxy called VV 340a offers a dramatic look at how a supermassive black hole can reshape its entire host. Astronomers observed a relatively weak but restless jet blasting outward from the galaxy’s core, wobbling like a spinning top as it plows through surrounding gas. Using a powerful mix of space- and ground-based telescopes, the team showed that this jet heats, ionizes, and flings gas out of the galaxy at a surprisingly high rate. Mon, 19 Jan 2026 22:45:26 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260119215510.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260118233609.htm Physicists have unveiled a new way to simulate a mysterious form of dark matter that can collide with itself but not with normal matter. This self-interacting dark matter may trigger a dramatic collapse inside dark matter halos, heating and densifying their cores in surprising ways. Until now, this crucial middle ground of behavior was nearly impossible to model accurately. The new code makes these simulations faster, more precise, and accessible enough to run on a laptop. Mon, 19 Jan 2026 07:52:41 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260118233609.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260115022801.htm For years, strange red dots in James Webb images left scientists puzzled. New research shows they are young black holes hidden inside dense clouds of gas, glowing as they devour their surroundings. These black holes are smaller than expected but grow rapidly, shedding light on how supermassive black holes appeared so early in cosmic history. The finding reveals a violent and messy phase of the universe’s youth. Fri, 16 Jan 2026 03:13:00 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260115022801.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260114084113.htm Dark matter, one of the Universe’s greatest mysteries, may have been born blazing hot instead of cold and sluggish as scientists long believed. New research shows that dark matter particles could have been moving near the speed of light shortly after the Big Bang, only to cool down later and still help form galaxies. By focusing on a chaotic early era known as post-inflationary reheating, researchers reveal that “red-hot” dark matter could survive long enough to become the calm, structure-building force we see today. Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:42:07 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260114084113.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260112001037.htm Scientists observing the red giant star R Doradus have found that starlight isn’t strong enough to drive its stellar winds, overturning a long-standing theory. The dust grains around the star are simply too small to be pushed outward by light alone. This raises new questions about how giant stars spread life-essential elements through space. Researchers now suspect dramatic stellar motions or pulsations may play a key role instead. Mon, 12 Jan 2026 05:41:03 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260112001037.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260110211221.htm The accelerating expansion of the universe is usually explained by an invisible force known as dark energy. But a new study suggests this mysterious ingredient may not be necessary after all. Using an extended version of Einstein’s gravity, researchers found that cosmic acceleration can arise naturally from a more general geometry of spacetime. The result hints at a radical new way to understand why the universe keeps speeding up. Sun, 11 Jan 2026 07:47:33 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260110211221.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260110211158.htm Scientists have discovered an enormous stream of super-hot gas erupting from a nearby galaxy, driven by a powerful black hole at its center. The jets stretch farther than the galaxy itself and spiral outward in a rare, never-before-seen pattern. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope pierced through thick dust to reveal this violent outflow. The process is so intense it’s robbing the galaxy of star-forming gas at a staggering rate. Sat, 10 Jan 2026 23:02:00 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260110211158.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260109235153.htm Astronomers have uncovered the long-hidden cause behind Betelgeuse’s strange behavior: a small companion star carving a visible wake through the giant’s vast atmosphere. Using nearly eight years of observations from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and ground-based observatories, scientists detected swirling trails of dense gas created as the companion, called Siwarha, moves through Betelgeuse’s outer layers. Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:08:18 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260109235153.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260109220500.htm Hubble has revealed a strange cosmic object called Cloud-9, a dark matter–dominated cloud with no stars at all. Scientists believe it is a “failed galaxy,” a leftover building block from the early Universe that never lit up. Its discovery confirms long-standing theories about starless galaxies. Cloud-9 offers a rare glimpse into the dark side of cosmic evolution. Fri, 09 Jan 2026 22:05:00 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260109220500.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260107225544.htm Einstein’s claim that the speed of light is constant has survived more than a century of scrutiny—but scientists are still daring to test it. Some theories of quantum gravity suggest light might behave slightly differently at extreme energies. By tracking ultra-powerful gamma rays from distant cosmic sources, researchers searched for tiny timing differences that could reveal new physics. They found none, but their results tighten the limits by a huge margin. Thu, 08 Jan 2026 07:37:11 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260107225544.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260107225530.htm Nearly everything in the universe is made of mysterious dark matter and dark energy, yet we can’t see either of them directly. Scientists are developing detectors so sensitive they can spot particle interactions that might occur once in years or even decades. These experiments aim to uncover what shapes galaxies and fuels cosmic expansion. Cracking this mystery could transform our understanding of the laws of nature. Thu, 08 Jan 2026 08:44:48 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260107225530.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251228074458.htm Thanks to Einstein’s relativity, time flows differently on Mars than on Earth. NIST scientists have now nailed down the difference, showing that Mars clocks tick slightly faster—and fluctuate over the Martian year. These microsecond shifts could play a big role in future Mars navigation, communications, and even a solar-system-wide internet. It’s a small time gap with big consequences for space exploration. Tue, 30 Dec 2025 11:54:08 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251228074458.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251228074453.htm Scientists have detected the most distant supernova ever seen, exploding when the universe was less than a billion years old. The event was first signaled by a gamma-ray burst and later confirmed using the James Webb Space Telescope, which was able to isolate the blast from its faint host galaxy. Surprisingly, the explosion closely resembles supernovae linked to gamma-ray bursts in the modern universe. Sun, 28 Dec 2025 11:27:21 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251228074453.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251226045338.htm New observations reveal that the relationship between ultraviolet and X-ray light in quasars has changed over billions of years. This unexpected shift suggests the structure around supermassive black holes may evolve with time, challenging a decades-old assumption. Sat, 27 Dec 2025 00:57:27 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251226045338.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251225080730.htm Astronomers have decoded the hidden past of a distant red giant star by listening to tiny vibrations in its light, revealing clues of a dramatic cosmic history. The star, which quietly orbits a dormant black hole, appears to be spinning far faster than it should—and its internal “starquakes” suggest it may have once collided and merged with another star. Even more puzzling, its chemical makeup makes it look ancient, while its internal structure reveals it’s relatively young. Fri, 26 Dec 2025 02:28:41 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251225080730.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251225080729.htm Scientists have discovered a giant cosmic filament where galaxies spin in sync with the structure that holds them together. The razor-thin chain of galaxies sits inside a much larger filament that appears to be slowly rotating as a whole. This coordinated motion is far stronger than expected by chance and hints that galaxy spin may be inherited from the cosmic web itself. The finding opens a new window into how galaxies formed and how matter flows across the Universe. Thu, 25 Dec 2025 09:50:50 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251225080729.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251222044106.htm Black holes are among the most extreme objects in the universe, and now scientists can model them more accurately than ever before. By combining Einstein’s gravity with realistic behavior of light and matter, researchers have built simulations that closely match real astronomical observations. These models reveal how matter forms chaotic, glowing disks and launches powerful outflows as it falls into black holes. It’s a major step toward decoding how these cosmic engines actually work. Mon, 22 Dec 2025 05:26:39 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251222044106.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251219093323.htm By studying tiny distortions in the shapes of distant galaxies, scientists mapped dark matter and dark energy across one of the largest sky surveys ever assembled. Their results back the standard picture of the universe and show that even archival telescope images can unlock cosmic mysteries. Sun, 21 Dec 2025 02:42:31 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251219093323.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251218060602.htm Cosmic “touchdown airbursts” — explosions of comets or asteroids above Earth’s surface — may be far more common and destructive than previously thought, according to new research. Unlike crater-forming impacts, these events unleash extreme heat and pressure without leaving obvious scars, making them harder to detect. Fri, 19 Dec 2025 01:30:09 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251218060602.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251218060556.htm Astronomers have detected spacetime itself being dragged and twisted by a spinning black hole for the first time. The discovery, seen during a star’s violent destruction, confirms a prediction made over 100 years ago and reveals new clues about how black holes spin and launch jets. Thu, 18 Dec 2025 10:41:26 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251218060556.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251215084222.htm A new theory proposes that the universe’s fundamental forces and particle properties may arise from the geometry of hidden extra dimensions. These dimensions could twist and evolve over time, forming stable structures that generate mass and symmetry breaking on their own. The approach may even explain cosmic expansion and predict a new particle. It hints at a universe built entirely from geometry. Mon, 15 Dec 2025 10:13:41 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251215084222.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251209082301.htm New simulations of Milky Way-like galaxies reveal that the strange split between two chemically distinct groups of stars may arise from several very different evolutionary events. Bursts of star formation, shifts in flowing gas, and even streams of metal-poor material from a galaxy’s outskirts can all create this double pattern. The findings challenge the long-held assumption that a major ancient collision caused the split. Tue, 09 Dec 2025 08:23:01 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251209082301.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251209043036.htm Scientists are testing a novel way to measure cosmic expansion using time delays in gravitationally lensed quasars. Their results match “local” measurements but clash with early-universe estimates, strengthening the mysterious Hubble tension. This mismatch could point to new physics rather than observational error. Researchers now aim to boost precision to solve the puzzle. Tue, 09 Dec 2025 09:26:59 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251209043036.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251208014620.htm XRISM’s high-precision X-ray data revealed unusually strong signatures of chlorine and potassium inside the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant. These levels are far higher than theoretical models predicted, showing that supernovae can be major sources of these life-critical elements. Researchers believe powerful mixing deep inside massive stars is responsible for the unexpected boost. The findings reshape our understanding of how the building blocks of planets and life were created. Mon, 08 Dec 2025 02:40:04 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251208014620.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251207031327.htm Knotted structures once imagined by Lord Kelvin may actually have shaped the universe’s earliest moments, according to new research showing how two powerful symmetries could have created stable “cosmic knots” after the Big Bang. These exotic objects may have briefly dominated the young cosmos, unraveled through quantum tunneling, and produced heavy right-handed neutrinos whose decays tipped the balance toward matter over antimatter. Sun, 07 Dec 2025 07:31:41 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251207031327.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251205054737.htm SQUIRE aims to detect exotic spin-dependent interactions using quantum sensors deployed in space, where speed and environmental conditions vastly improve sensitivity. Orbiting sensors tap into Earth’s enormous natural polarized spin source and benefit from low-noise periodic signal modulation. A robust prototype with advanced noise suppression and radiation-hardened engineering now meets the requirements for space operation. The long-term goal is a powerful space-ground network capable of exploring dark matter and other beyond-Standard-Model phenomena. Sat, 06 Dec 2025 10:02:33 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251205054737.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251203004736.htm FROSTI is a new adaptive optics system that precisely corrects distortions in LIGO’s mirrors caused by extreme laser power. By using custom thermal patterns, it preserves mirror shape without introducing noise, allowing detectors to operate at higher sensitivities. This leap enables future observatories like Cosmic Explorer to see deeper into the cosmos. The technology lays the groundwork for vastly expanding gravitational-wave astronomy. Thu, 04 Dec 2025 00:41:43 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251203004736.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251203004729.htm A surprisingly mature spiral galaxy named Alaknanda has been spotted just 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang—far earlier than astronomers believed such well-structured galaxies could form. With sweeping spiral arms, rapid star formation, and an orderly disk resembling our Milky Way, it defies long-held theories about how slowly galaxies should assemble. Thanks to JWST and gravitational lensing, researchers could examine the galaxy in remarkable detail, revealing that the early Universe was far more capable and dynamic than expected. Wed, 03 Dec 2025 09:35:21 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251203004729.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251127102115.htm The discovery of strange, ultra-red objects—especially the extreme case known as The Cliff—has pushed astronomers to propose an entirely new type of cosmic structure: black hole stars. These exotic hybrids could explain rapid black hole growth in the early universe, but their existence remains unproven. Sat, 29 Nov 2025 09:49:27 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251127102115.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251125081923.htm Michigan State University astrophysicists are closing in on one of space science’s biggest mysteries: where the galaxy’s most energetic particles come from. Their studies uncovered a pulsar wind nebula behind a mysterious LHAASO signal and set important X-ray constraints on other potential sources. Wed, 26 Nov 2025 06:49:23 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251125081923.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251121090738.htm New measurements of radio galaxies reveal that the solar system is racing through the universe at over three times the speed predicted by standard cosmology. Using highly sensitive data from multiple radio telescope arrays, researchers uncovered a surprisingly strong dipole pattern—one that challenges longstanding assumptions about how matter is distributed across cosmic scales. The results echo similar anomalies seen in quasar studies, hinting that something fundamental about our universe’s structure or our motion through it may need rewriting. Sat, 22 Nov 2025 09:29:25 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251121090738.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251116105513.htm LHAASO has uncovered that micro-quasars, black holes feeding on companion stars, are powerful PeV particle accelerators. Their jets produce ultra-high-energy gamma rays and protons that exceed long-held expectations. Precise cosmic-ray measurements reveal a new high-energy component, suggesting multiple sources within the Milky Way. These findings finally tie the “knee” structure to black hole jet systems. Sun, 16 Nov 2025 11:46:04 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251116105513.htm