JWST’s Puzzling Early Galaxies Bend Astrophysics
Rather than ripping up our fundamental models of the universe, the unexpectedly big and bright galaxies spied in the early universe by JWST probably have astrophysical explanations
JWST’s Puzzling Early Galaxies Bend Astrophysics
Rather than ripping up our fundamental models of the universe, the unexpectedly big and bright galaxies spied in the early universe by JWST probably have astrophysical explanations
Unprecedented Supernova Survey Underscores Dark Energy Mystery
The Dark Energy Survey has released a long-awaited analysis based on more than 1,500 supernovae. It suggests our laws of gravity just might be correct after all—or perhaps not
Giant Ultrafaint Galaxy Could Offer Dark Matter Clues
A ghostly giant galaxy called Nube may become a testbed for esoteric theories of dark matter
Bizarre Dark Object Could Be First-Known ‘Empty’ Galaxy from the Early Universe
A serendipitously discovered object nearly as massive as the Milky Way appears to be made of primordial gas that has formed almost no stars
The Language of Astronomy Is Needlessly Violent and Inaccurate
Astronomy is beautiful and elegant. The language we use to describe its processes is anything but
Behold—the Best Space Images of 2023
This year’s most interesting space images include infrared views of galactic “bones,” an asteroid’s double moon, Jupiter’s giant polar vortex, and more
Astronomers Spy First Star-Forming Disk beyond the Milky Way
No one has ever seen a newborn star feeding on its natal disk anywhere outside our galaxy—that is, until now
The Second Most Powerful Cosmic Ray in History Came from—Nowhere?
Amaterasu—the most powerful cosmic ray seen in three decades—seems to come from an empty point of the sky. New telescopes may solve the mystery of its origins
Astronomy Is Facing an End of the Era of Monster Telescopes
Money, engineering and sheer geometry may mark an end of the line for building ever larger astronomical telescopes
China Delays Launch of Its Xuntian Space Telescope
The Xuntian Space Telescope is China’s entry in a global race to unlock the secrets of dark energy, and it will now lift off no earlier than mid-2025
This Record-Breaking Black Hole Could Help Solve a Cosmic Mystery
The earliest active supermassive black hole ever seen offers clues on how these enigmatic objects first formed
Euclid Space Telescope Releases Stunning First Science Images
Fresh images show off the Euclid space telescope’s ability to capture crisp pictures of vast swaths of sky