Big Bang – Astronomy Now

More evidence of trouble at the heart of the standard model

15 June 2020 Astronomy Now

Astronomers have come up with another value for the Hubble constant, more evidence that the standard model of the cosmos and its expansion need revision

Hubble data suggest first stars formed even earlier than previously thought

5 June 2020 Astronomy Now

Astronomers find no signs of first-generation population III stars in gravitationally lensed galaxies dating back to within 500 million years of the Big Bang.

Cosmic reads: four great books that explore the Universe we live in

3 April 2020 Keith Cooper

Astronomy Now reviews four great books that explore the nature of the Universe we live in.

Hubble constant mismatch no fluke; new physics may be needed

27 April 2019 Astronomy Now

More precise observations of pulsating Cepheid variable stars confirms a major discrepancy in values of the Hubble constant.

NASA selects mission to explore origins of cosmos

14 February 2019 Astronomy Now

NASA has approved construction of a spacecraft to carry out all-sky spectral observations to learn more about the evolution of the universe.

Researchers find a “fossil” cloud made up of the original star stuff

25 December 2018 Astronomy Now

Astronomers have found only the third example of a fossil cloud made up of material generated in the Big Bang that’s not “polluted” by heavier elements cooked up in supernova blasts.

Opaque voids in early universe tied to galaxy scarcity

14 October 2018 Astronomy Now

New research indicates vast voids in the extremely early universe did not contain large amounts of gas, blocking light from background galaxies. They actually contain little mass, with fewer nearby galaxies than expected.

Planck confirms standard Big Bang model – but ‘tensions’ remain

21 July 2018 Astronomy Now

The European Space Agency’s Planck spacecraft’s final data release confirms the standard model of the Big Bang in unprecedented detail, but disagreement on how fast the cosmos is expanding remains

Is at least some dark matter electrically charged? Maybe

31 May 2018 Astronomy Now

The nature of dark matter, which makes up most of the material in the universe, is a profound mystery. But if at least a fraction of dark matter particles have a tiny electrical charge, it could help explain the early evolution of the cosmos, astronomers say.

Stephen Hawking’s final thoughts about the big bang

2 May 2018 Astronomy Now

In a paper billed as Stephen Hawking’s final theory on the origin of the universe, the famed physicist and co-author Thomas Hertog argue that the widely held concept of “eternal inflation” is incorrect.