Tagged: universe

Our universe may have a twin that runs backward in time

An anti-universe running backwards in time could explain dark matter and cosmic inflation. A wild new theory suggests there may be another “anti-universe,” running backward in time prior to the Big Bang. The idea assumes that the early universe was small, hot and dense —...

Cosmic fireworks in nearby galaxies shine light on star formation

An explosion of galactic fireworks is enabling astronomers to peer into the secrets of starbirth. A team of international scientists spread across four continents has assembled an enormous collection of data examining galaxies in multiple wavelengths, with each wavelength revealing different parts of each stellar...

How many atoms are in the observable universe?

All matter in the universe — no matter how big, small, young or old — is made up of atoms. Each of these building blocks consists of a positively charged nucleus, made up of protons and neutrons, and negatively charged orbiting electrons. The number of...

10 wild theories about the universe

Why is the universe the way it is? Over the years, scientists have explored many ideas to explain our cosmos and its future. Here are some of the strangest ideas, from a braneworld scenario that involves the universe floating in a higher dimensional space, to...

Our universe might be a giant three-dimensional donut, really.

Imagine a universe where you could point a spaceship in one direction and eventually return to where you started. If our universe were a finite donut, then such movements would be possible and physicists could potentially measure its size. “We could say: Now we know...

A New Look At The Universe’s Oldest Light

How old is our universe? That’s one of humanity’s oldest and most fundamental questions. Now, astronomers using the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT), high in the Andes of northern Chile, have announced a new measurement of the cosmic background radiation, our universe’s oldest light, discovered in...

Four ways artificial intelligence is helping us learn about the universe

This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Space.com’s Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. Ashley Spindler, Research Fellow, Astrophysics, University of Hertfordshire Astronomy is all about data. The universe is getting bigger and so too is the amount of...

New radio receiver opens wider window to radio universe

Researchers have used the latest wireless technology to develop a new radio receiver for astronomy. The receiver is capable of capturing radio waves at frequencies over a range several times wider than conventional ones, and can detect radio waves emitted by many types of molecules...