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 Tue, 09 Jun 2026 21:30:10 EDT Tue, 09 Jun 2026 21:30:10 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/2026/06/260608040015.htm The mysterious Amaterasu particle may not be a proton at all. New research suggests that some of the most extreme cosmic rays could be ultraheavy atomic nuclei, heavier than iron, which are better able to retain their energy while traveling through space. This idea could help explain how these rare particles reach Earth and provide new clues about the powerful cosmic explosions that create them. Tue, 09 Jun 2026 07:18:10 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260608040015.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260606075858.htm What if our biggest idea about reality is built on a hidden misunderstanding? A new philosophical look at space-time challenges the popular view that the past, present, and future all exist together in a timeless "block universe." The argument suggests that physicists may be blurring the difference between things that exist and things that merely occur, creating deep confusion about what space-time actually is. Mon, 08 Jun 2026 07:28:01 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260606075858.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260602021631.htm Astronomers have finally cracked the mystery behind a strange class of repeating cosmic signals that has baffled scientists for years. Using Australia’s ASKAP radio telescope, researchers traced the bursts to a rare stellar duo in which a dense white dwarf is relentlessly siphoning material from a nearby red dwarf companion. As the stolen matter spirals inward, the system unleashes powerful radio waves and X-rays every 1.4 hours. Tue, 02 Jun 2026 07:08:18 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260602021631.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260601025334.htm NASA’s Roman Space Telescope could revolutionize the search for alien worlds by discovering around 100,000 exoplanets—far more than all previous missions combined. It will look deep into unexplored parts of the Milky Way, helping scientists compare planetary systems across very different galactic environments. The mission will also uncover rare Earth-sized planets, study thousands of exotic alien atmospheres, and provide a treasure trove of data that could reshape our understanding of how planets form. Mon, 01 Jun 2026 02:53:34 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260601025334.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260601025329.htm A stunning spiral galaxy called Messier 88 is racing through the crowded Virgo Cluster on a journey that will dramatically reshape its future. At its heart lies a supermassive black hole about 100 million times the mass of the Sun, while its graceful spiral arms sparkle with young star clusters and dark clouds of dust. But as M88 plunges deeper into the cluster over the next few hundred million years, powerful forces will strip away much of the gas it needs to create new stars. Mon, 01 Jun 2026 07:38:16 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260601025329.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260527023212.htm A giant planet nearly 700 light-years away has a bizarre daily weather cycle where mineral clouds appear every morning and vanish by nightfall. Using the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers discovered that WASP-94A b’s mornings are filled with clouds made of rock-like minerals, while its evenings are surprisingly clear. The finding gave scientists their clearest look yet into the planet’s atmosphere and revealed it’s far more Jupiter-like than previously believed. Wed, 27 May 2026 06:24:22 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260527023212.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260525000503.htm Scientists used some of the most advanced plasma simulations ever created to uncover how the universe builds enormous magnetic fields out of turbulence. The discovery could reshape our understanding of stars, black holes, neutron star collisions, and dangerous solar eruptions. Tue, 26 May 2026 01:32:52 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260525000503.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260523103912.htm A mysterious particle from deep space has scientists buzzing after the most energetic neutrino ever detected slammed through the Mediterranean Sea. Now, researchers think they may have identified the cosmic “culprits” behind it: blazars — supermassive black holes blasting jets of matter straight toward Earth. Sun, 24 May 2026 06:56:54 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260523103912.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260522023129.htm What if wormholes were never cosmic tunnels at all? New research suggests Einstein and Rosen’s famous “bridge” may actually reveal something even stranger: time itself could flow in two directions at once. Instead of connecting distant places in space, these bridges may connect mirror versions of time deep inside quantum physics, potentially solving the long-standing black hole information paradox and hinting that our universe existed before the Big Bang. Fri, 22 May 2026 09:09:27 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260522023129.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260521072355.htm Astronomers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have uncovered a rare world unlike anything in our solar system — a giant planet about the size of Saturn with surprisingly Earth-like temperatures and an atmosphere packed with methane. The planet, TOI-199b, sits more than 330 light-years away and is one of the first known “temperate” gas giants ever studied in detail. Thu, 21 May 2026 22:41:53 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260521072355.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260520093753.htm Scientists have discovered a bizarre planetary system where a rocky world orbits farther out than giant gas planets, defying long-standing theories of planet formation. The finding hints that some planets may form much later than expected — and that our Solar System might not be as typical as we thought. Thu, 21 May 2026 02:09:31 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260520093753.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260517211440.htm Time might be even stranger than Einstein imagined. Physicists are now exploring the possibility that a single clock could exist in a quantum superposition, ticking both faster and slower at the same time — almost like Schrödinger’s cat being both alive and dead simultaneously. Using incredibly precise atomic clocks and cutting-edge quantum technologies, researchers believe they may soon be able to test this bizarre prediction in the lab for the first time. Mon, 18 May 2026 06:21:09 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260517211440.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260516034136.htm Astronomers have revealed the sharpest image ever captured of a filament in the cosmic web — the enormous hidden structure connecting galaxies across the Universe. The glowing strand stretches 3 million light-years and links two galaxies from nearly 12 billion years ago. By observing this faint intergalactic gas directly for the first time in such detail, scientists gained new insight into how galaxies are fueled and formed. Sat, 16 May 2026 09:15:10 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260516034136.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260513221809.htm Scientists studying mysterious ultra-powerful cosmic rays have uncovered a surprising hidden pattern that could finally help explain where these particles come from. Using the DAMPE space telescope, researchers found that cosmic ray particles—from tiny protons to heavy iron nuclei—all begin fading away more sharply at the exact same point, hinting at a universal rule governing their behavior across the galaxy. Thu, 14 May 2026 09:58:21 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260513221809.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260511213151.htm Hubble has revealed a giant planet-forming disk unlike anything astronomers have seen before. Nicknamed “Dracula’s Chivito,” the enormous structure appears turbulent and oddly lopsided, with towering filaments visible on only one side. The disk contains enough material to potentially create multiple giant planets, making it a fascinating new laboratory for studying how planetary systems are born. Tue, 12 May 2026 00:42:10 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260511213151.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260511213136.htm Astronomers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have created the clearest map yet of the universe’s “cosmic web” — the enormous hidden structure that connects galaxies across space. By analyzing more than 164,000 galaxies through the massive COSMOS-Web survey, researchers were able to trace this vast network back to when the universe was just a billion years old. Tue, 12 May 2026 00:10:23 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260511213136.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260510234658.htm Dante’s Inferno may have been far more than a religious epic. New research argues that the 14th-century poet essentially imagined a catastrophic asteroid impact centuries before modern science understood meteors. In this interpretation, Satan crashes into Earth like a giant cosmic object, blasting through the Southern Hemisphere and reshaping the planet itself — carving out the circles of Hell while forcing up Mount Purgatory on the opposite side of the globe. Mon, 11 May 2026 02:10:19 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260510234658.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260508022653.htm Scientists may have uncovered a surprising secret behind why life exists at all. A new study suggests that the Universe’s fundamental constants — the deep physical rules that govern everything from atoms to stars — appear to sit within an incredibly narrow “sweet spot” that allows liquids to flow properly inside living cells. Even tiny shifts in these constants could make blood too thick, water too sticky, or cellular motion impossible, potentially wiping out life as we know it. Fri, 08 May 2026 03:40:08 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260508022653.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260504154017.htm Astronomers have spotted something surprising in the far outer Solar System—a faint, short-lived atmosphere clinging to a tiny icy world that shouldn’t be able to hold one at all. The object, called 2002 XV93, is far smaller than Pluto, yet observations during a rare stellar alignment revealed its presence through a subtle dimming of starlight. Even more puzzling, calculations suggest this atmosphere should vanish within about 1,000 years unless it’s constantly being replenished. Tue, 05 May 2026 14:53:58 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260504154017.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260502233918.htm Physicists are rethinking one of quantum mechanics’ biggest puzzles: how fuzzy possibilities become definite reality. New research suggests that spontaneous “collapse” processes—possibly linked to gravity—could subtly blur time itself. This wouldn’t affect clocks we use today, but it reveals a hidden limit to how precise time can ever be. The findings open a new path toward uniting quantum physics with gravity. Sun, 03 May 2026 09:40:13 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260502233918.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260428045603.htm A spectacular cosmic event nicknamed “SN Winny” could help solve one of astronomy’s biggest mysteries: how fast the universe is expanding. This rare superluminous supernova, located 10 billion light-years away, appears five times in the sky thanks to gravitational lensing, creating a dazzling “cosmic fireworks” effect. By measuring the slight delays between each appearance—caused by light taking different paths around two foreground galaxies—scientists can directly calculate the universe’s expansion rate. Wed, 29 Apr 2026 04:05:18 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260428045603.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260428045553.htm Scientists have uncovered the true boundary of the Milky Way’s star-forming region using stellar “age mapping.” They found a telltale U-shaped pattern showing that star formation drops sharply around 35,000–40,000 light-years from the center. Beyond that, stars are mostly migrants, slowly drifting outward rather than forming in place. The discovery gives a long-sought answer to where our galaxy’s stellar nursery really ends. Wed, 29 Apr 2026 02:33:19 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260428045553.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260427050618.htm A group of undergraduate students pulled off something remarkable: they built their own dark matter detector and used it to probe one of physics’ biggest mysteries. Working with limited resources but plenty of creativity, they designed a stripped-down experiment to hunt for axions — hypothetical particles that could make up dark matter. Mon, 27 Apr 2026 09:40:33 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260427050618.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260427050604.htm A massive cosmic milestone has just been reached: scientists have completed the largest high-resolution 3D map of the universe ever created. Built using data from over 47 million galaxies and quasars, this map could unlock new clues about dark energy—the mysterious force driving the universe’s expansion. Despite setbacks like wildfire disruptions, the international DESI collaboration powered through, gathering an unprecedented dataset that already hints dark energy may behave in unexpected ways. Tue, 28 Apr 2026 03:33:32 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260427050604.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260424233217.htm In the chaotic first moments after the Big Bang, ripples in spacetime may have done more than just echo through the cosmos—they could have helped create dark matter itself. New research suggests that faint, ancient gravitational waves might have transformed into particles that eventually became the invisible substance shaping galaxies today. Sat, 25 Apr 2026 10:16:00 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260424233217.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260423031532.htm A mysterious cosmic explosion has astronomers buzzing, as a strange event may hint at an entirely new kind of stellar cataclysm. After detecting ripples in space-time, scientists spotted a fast-fading red glow that initially looked like a rare kilonova—the kind of collision that forges gold and uranium. But just days later, the signal shifted, behaving more like a supernova, leaving researchers puzzled. Now, some think they may have witnessed something never seen before: a “superkilonova.” Fri, 24 Apr 2026 10:02:52 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260423031532.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260423031528.htm Scientists are grappling with a cosmic mystery: why does the Universe behave differently on massive scales compared to our own solar system? While distant galaxies reveal clear signs of something bending the rules of gravity—often attributed to dark energy or a hidden “fifth force”—everything nearby seems to follow Einstein’s playbook perfectly. Thu, 23 Apr 2026 03:15:28 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260423031528.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260422044618.htm Scientists have discovered unexpected water-ice clouds on a distant, Jupiter-like exoplanet, challenging current atmospheric models. By directly imaging Epsilon Indi Ab with the James Webb Space Telescope, they found less ammonia than expected—likely hidden by thick, patchy clouds. The finding reveals new layers of complexity in giant planets and shows how much we still have to learn. Wed, 22 Apr 2026 05:24:39 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260422044618.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260421042812.htm Deep inside planets like Uranus and Neptune, scientists may have uncovered a bizarre new state of matter where atoms behave in unexpected ways. Advanced simulations suggest that carbon and hydrogen, under crushing pressures and scorching temperatures, can form a strange hybrid phase—part solid, part fluid—where hydrogen atoms spiral through a rigid carbon framework. This unusual “superionic” structure could reshape how heat and electricity flow inside these distant worlds, potentially helping explain their mysterious magnetic fields. Tue, 21 Apr 2026 09:24:21 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260421042812.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260417224507.htm Astronomers have long been puzzled by a cosmic mystery: planets orbiting two stars—like Star Wars’ Tatooine—are surprisingly rare, even though they should be common. New research suggests the culprit is none other than Einstein’s theory of general relativity. Sun, 19 Apr 2026 06:17:19 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260417224507.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260411022037.htm A colossal “cosmic volcano” has erupted in deep space, as a supermassive black hole in galaxy J1007+3540 roars back to life after nearly 100 million years of silence. Astronomers captured stunning radio images showing fresh jets blasting outward while crashing into the intense pressure of a surrounding galaxy cluster, creating a chaotic, distorted structure stretching nearly a million light-years. Mon, 13 Apr 2026 02:23:58 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260411022037.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260411022025.htm A major international effort has produced an ultra-precise measurement of the Universe’s expansion rate, confirming it’s faster than early-Universe models predict. By linking multiple distance-measuring techniques, scientists ruled out simple errors as the cause of the discrepancy. The persistent “Hubble tension” now looks more real than ever. It could mean our current model of the cosmos is incomplete. Sun, 12 Apr 2026 02:37:50 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260411022025.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260406192905.htm A strange “forbidden” planet spotted by the James Webb Space Telescope is turning planetary science on its head. TOI-5205 b, a Jupiter-sized world orbiting a small, cool star, has an atmosphere surprisingly poor in heavy elements—even less enriched than its own star, which defies current theories of how giant planets form. Mon, 06 Apr 2026 23:28:14 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260406192905.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260403224454.htm Dying stars may be wiping out nearby giant planets as they expand into red giants. Astronomers found that these close-in planets become increasingly rare around more evolved stars, suggesting many have already been swallowed. The likely cause is a gravitational tug that drags planets inward until they break apart or fall into the star. It’s a dramatic glimpse into the chaotic final stages of planetary systems. Sat, 04 Apr 2026 04:21:18 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260403224454.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260403224450.htm A group of undergraduate students stumbled into a cosmic time capsule—one of the oldest stars ever discovered—while combing through massive astronomy datasets. What began as a class project quickly turned into a breakthrough when they spotted an extraordinarily “pristine” star made almost entirely of hydrogen and helium, hinting it formed near the dawn of the universe. Sat, 04 Apr 2026 04:07:31 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260403224450.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260330001145.htm A blazing supermassive black hole can influence far more than its own galaxy. Scientists found that quasars emit radiation strong enough to shut down star formation in nearby galaxies millions of light-years away. This could explain why some galaxies near early quasars appear faint or missing. The finding suggests galaxies grow and evolve together, not in isolation. Mon, 30 Mar 2026 08:23:11 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260330001145.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260330001137.htm Scientists at the University of Waterloo have uncovered a bold new way to explain how the universe began—one that could reshape our understanding of the Big Bang. Instead of relying on patched-together theories, their approach shows that the universe’s explosive early growth may arise naturally from a deeper framework called quantum gravity. Mon, 30 Mar 2026 23:27:02 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260330001137.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260323223924.htm For the first time, scientists have reconstructed the full history of a galaxy outside the Milky Way using chemical clues. By analyzing oxygen across NGC 1365 and comparing it with simulations, they traced its growth over 12 billion years. The findings show how its core formed early while its outer regions were built through repeated mergers. This new approach could transform how astronomers study galaxy evolution. Mon, 23 Mar 2026 22:46:25 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260323223924.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260322020255.htm Astronomers have uncovered surprising evidence of a thick atmosphere surrounding TOI-561 b, a scorching, fast-orbiting rocky planet once thought too extreme to hold onto any gas. Using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, researchers found the planet is far cooler than expected for a bare rock, hinting at a heat-distributing atmosphere above a churning magma ocean. This strange world—where a year lasts just over 10 hours and one side is locked in eternal daylight—may even be rich in volatile materials, behaving like a “wet lava ball.” Sun, 22 Mar 2026 04:19:46 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260322020255.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260319044652.htm A nearby galaxy is behaving strangely—and now scientists know why. The Small Magellanic Cloud’s stars move in chaotic patterns because it slammed into its larger neighbor millions of years ago. That collision disrupted its structure and even created the illusion that its gas was rotating. The discovery means this once “textbook” galaxy may not be as typical as astronomers believed. Fri, 20 Mar 2026 04:43:41 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260319044652.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260315225144.htm Astronomers may have found an exciting new clue about dark energy—the mysterious force driving the universe’s accelerating expansion. They discovered an extraordinarily bright supernova from more than 10 billion years ago whose light was bent and magnified by a foreground galaxy, creating multiple images through gravitational lensing. Because the light from each image traveled slightly different paths, it arrived at Earth at different times, letting scientists effectively watch different moments of the same cosmic explosion simultaneously. Mon, 16 Mar 2026 23:48:22 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260315225144.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260315225141.htm Scientists studying a mysterious effect called cosmic birefringence—a subtle twist in the polarization of the universe’s oldest light—have developed a new way to reduce uncertainty in how it’s measured. This faint rotation in the cosmic microwave background could point to entirely new physics, including hidden particles such as axions and clues about dark matter or dark energy. Mon, 16 Mar 2026 22:53:18 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260315225141.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260311213425.htm Astronomers have discovered a strange new signal coming from an exploding star — a “chirp” that speeds up over time, similar to the signals seen when black holes collide. The unusual pattern appeared in a superluminous supernova about a billion light-years away and revealed clues about what’s happening deep inside the blast. Wed, 11 Mar 2026 22:27:48 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260311213425.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260309225236.htm Cosmic voids may seem like the emptiest places in the universe, stripped of matter, radiation, and even dark matter. But they’re far from nothing. Even in these vast empty regions, the fundamental quantum fields that fill all of space remain, carrying a small but real amount of energy known as vacuum energy, or dark energy. While this energy is overwhelmed by matter in galaxies and clusters, in the deep emptiness of cosmic voids it becomes dominant. Tue, 10 Mar 2026 06:10:26 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260309225236.htm 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