Physics & Math, features and articles | Educational Science

Apr 27, 2023

Dark matter's secret identity could be hiding in distorted 'Einstein rings'

Researchers may be one step closer to uncovering the true identity of dark matter after studying how light gets bent out of shape in weirdly warped Einstein rings and other gravitationally lensed objects. Researchers estimate that dark matter makes up around 85% of the universe. But although experts have observed...

Jul 18, 2023

James Webb telescope reveals 3 possible 'dark stars' — galaxy-sized objects powered by invisible dark matter

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) may have found evidence of a strange and elusive type of star that only existed in the very early universe, when invisible dark matter was one of the only available fuel sources. New research suggests that three of the earliest objects identified as galaxies...

Jul 24, 2023

Bizarre 'relic galaxy' is missing a key component of the universe, and scientists are stumped

Our picture of cosmic evolution could be thrown into doubt by the discovery of a massive galaxy that seems to lack dark matter. Dark matter, which accounts for around 85% of the matter in the universe, seems to be absent from the galaxy NGC 1277, part of the Perseus Cluster...

Jul 25, 2023

Invisible supernovas called 'bosenovas' may be exploding all around us, new research suggests

All around the universe, invisible stars may be dying in high-energy explosions, and new research suggests how scientists could actually detect these unseen catastrophes. In a paper published June 28 in the preprint database arXiv, a team of astrophysicists explored what would happen when boson stars — theoretical large objects...

Aug 28, 2023

Dark matter could be building up inside dead stars — with potentially explosive consequences

Dark matter is thought to inhabit the entire universe but is completely invisible to observations. Now, scientists may be able to detect the mysterious matter's subtle influence as it burrows itself into the hearts of dead stars, altering how they behave. Astronomers have amassed an enormous body of evidence in...

Sep 4, 2023

Unknown ultra-light particles linked to dark matter could be found using atomic clocks

Scientists are using atomic clocks to investigate some of the universe's greatest mysteries, including the nature of dark matter, in a laboratory. In the process, they say they're bringing cosmology and astrophysics down to Earth. The project, which is a collaboration between the University of Sussex and the National Physical...

Sep 18, 2023

Astronomers measure dark matter 'haloes' around hundreds of ancient black holes for 1st time

A team of astronomers has, for the first time, weighed dark matter haloes surrounding actively feeding supermassive black holes in the bright hearts of ancient galaxies. These black hole-powered hearts, or quasars, are often brighter than the combined light of every star in the galaxies around them. These super luminous...

Sep 19, 2023

Our entire galaxy is warping, and a gigantic blob of dark matter could be to blame

A gigantic blob of invisible dark matter has bent our galaxy out of shape, a new study suggests. Scientists initially believed that the Milky Way was a flat disk dominated by two spiral arms trailing stars from a central bar, but measurements taken since the mid-20th century reveal that it's...

Oct 12, 2023

ESA scientists finally resolve glitch that caused Euclid spacecraft to 'doodle' through space

The European Space Agency's (ESA) dark universe detective, the Euclid spacecraft, is on track after locating its guiding stars, which it lost as a result of cosmic misidentification. The satellite can now begin investigating dark matter and dark energy, which are some of the greatest mysteries in cosmology. Dark matter...

Nov 7, 2023

1st images from the Euclid 'dark universe' telescope are here — and they're jaw-dropping

The first images from the Euclid space telescope have been revealed, and they are stunning. The European Space Agency (ESA) telescope, which launched on July 1 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, is designed to explore the composition and evolution of the dark universe — the collective name given to...

Nov 29, 2023

Large Hadron Collider could be generating dark matter in its particle jets

A new search for dark matter has turned up empty handed — but, in a silver lining, the effort provided important limits that will help future experiments narrow down the hunt for this elusive substance. Most astronomers believe that dark matter accounts for 85 percent of all mass in the...

Dec 26, 2023

Millions of invisible 'mirror stars' could exist in the Milky Way, and astronomers know how to find them

There may be an invisible universe of stars, nebulas and galaxies made up entirely of dark matter. And astronomers now know how to look for it. To put it simply, dark matter is a mystery. Astronomers have dozens of independent pieces of evidence that all point to the existence of...

Aug 13, 2010

New Telescope Would Search Planets, Probe Dark Energy

A $1.6-billion space telescope that could reveal the nature of dark energy and identify Earth-like planets should be the top priority for astronomers and astrophysicists, according to a long-awaited report that lays out the pressing needs for the next 10 years of space science. The Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST)...

Aug 19, 2010

Dark Energy Mystery Illuminated By Cosmic Lens

By peering at the distant reaches of the universe through a galactic magnifying lens, astronomers may have found a way to better understand mysterious dark energy, which is thought to be speeding up the expansion of the cosmos. Though scientists don't know what dark energy is — nor have they...

Nov 12, 2010

Chubby Galaxy Cluster Suggests Dark Energy Stronger Long Ago

Astronomers have created a new, incredibly detailed map of dark matter by using the Hubble Space Telescope to peer through a huge cluster of galaxies as if it were a cosmic magnifying glass. Though invisible, dark matter makes its presence known through its gravitational tug on normal stuff. Scientists now...