The Lambda Cold Dark Matter (LCDM) theory suggests that most galaxies are low-mass dwarf galaxies, many of which orbit larger galaxies like the Milky Way. More broadly, the LCDM represents our best understanding of how the universe works. But there’s a problem. According to the theory, the Milky Way should have significantly more satellite galaxies […]
New Images Show Andromeda Galaxy as You’ve Never Seen It Before
Andromeda lies 2.5 million light-years away from the Milky Way, a spiral galaxy similar to our own that has allowed scientists to better understand our galactic home. A new composite image reveals our closest galactic neighbor in five different wavelengths of light, combined together to create a stunningly detailed view of Andromeda. Telescopes capture images […]
These Two Galaxy Clusters Are About to Smash Into Each Other—Again
Roughly 2.8 billion light-years from Earth, two galaxy clusters are engaged in a cosmic tussle. These enormous structures last collided about a billion years ago, but now, it appears they’re going back for round two. The galaxy clusters involved in this scuffle are part of a larger system—a “combined” galaxy cluster—called PSZ2 G181. In a […]
The Milky Way Might Not Smash Into the Andromeda Galaxy After All, New Simulation Indicates
For over a decade, researchers have suggested a high possibility of our Milky Way galaxy smashing into neighboring galaxy Andromeda around 5 billion years from now. The collision would merge the two galaxies into a single (very creatively named) “Milkomeda”—but new research now indicates that this is less likely than previously assumed. Integrating new data […]
Image Reveals the Most Distant Galaxy Ever Seen, From Just 280 Million Years After the Big Bang
The James Webb Space Telescope’s latest find is yet another record-breaker: the most distant galaxy ever detected, shining just 280 million years after the Big Bang. Named MoM-z14 (cue the “your mama’s so old” jokes), the galaxy was spotted by JWST as part of the Mirage (or Miracle) survey, a program designed to confirm the […]
A Rogue Black Hole of Unusual Size Is Devouring Stars in a Distant Galaxy
Astronomers have spotted an apparent supermassive black hole snacking on a star 600 million light-years away, wandering through a galaxy with an even larger black hole at its core. The event, dubbed AT2024tvd, was first spotted by the Palomar Observatory’s Zwicky Transient Facility and later confirmed by powerhouse space telescopes including Hubble and Chandra, which […]
Webb Spots ‘Cosmic Tornado’ in Stunning Detail
Webb has imaged phantasmal billows of bright orange space gas, captured in vibrant detail 630 light-years from Earth. This is the dazzling power of the Webb Space Telescope on full display, revealing the protostellar outflow Herbig Haro 49/50 (or HH 49/50) from the telescope’s perch in space, about one million miles from Earth. Herbig-Haro objects […]
Are We Inside a Black Hole? Wonky Galaxy Movements Suggest It’s Possible, Physicist Says
One researcher’s analysis of Webb Space Telescope images could indicate that we’re all stuck in a black hole, according to research published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. “The main finding of the study is that the vast majority of the galaxies in the universe, as seen from Earth, rotate in the […]
Shockingly Tiny Galaxy Near Andromeda Is Just One-Millionth the Size of the Milky Way
A group of astronomers has discovered the smallest, dimmest satellite galaxy bordering the Milky Way’s nearest galactic neighbor, the Andromeda Galaxy. The itsy-bitsy satellite galaxy is named Andromeda XXXV and sits about 3 million light-years from Earth. The discovery of the galaxy gives astronomers a useful comparative tool for studying satellite galaxies on the outskirts […]
The Milky Way’s Black Hole Is Producing a Brilliant Light Show
The black hole at the center of our galaxy is experiencing a flurry of flares, ranging from flickers to brilliant eruptions, according to a team that analyzed data from recent observations by the Webb Space Telescope. The observations detailed the extreme environment in the immediate vicinity of Sagittarius A* (pronounced A-star), the supermassive black hole […]