Cosmology
Cosmology is a branch of physics that grapples with the big questions on the nature of our universe, including where it came from and what will happen to it next. At Live Science, we make this complex and sometimes mind-bending science accessible, explaining everything from the speed of light to the multiverse theory, and describing all of the wild theories about the universe.
Our expert writers and editors also break down new developments in the field, whether it's how "Dark sirens" could solve one of the greatest mysteries in cosmology or why the launch of the Euclid space telescope is groundbreaking, with the latest cosmology news, features and articles.
Discover more about cosmology
—5 fascinating facts about the Big Bang, the theory that defines the history of the universe
—The James Webb telescope has broken cosmology. Can it be fixed?
Latest about Cosmology
'There's no real competitor': Theoretical physicist Marika Taylor on how black holes could help us to find a theory of everything
By Ben Turner published
An artist's abstract illustration of cosmic strings.
James Webb telescope spies stunning 'Firefly Sparkle' galaxy — a baby clone of the Milky Way being 'assembled brick by brick' in the early universe
By Harry Baker published
The James Webb Space Telescope has captured an image of a baby, Milky Way-like galaxy that formed more than 13 billion years ago. This "Firefly Sparkle" galaxy could reveal how our own galaxy evolved.
What is the universe expanding into if it's already infinite?
By Nicole Granucci published
The universe is constantly expanding, but how do scientists think about what it's expanding into?
James Webb telescope confirms we have no idea why the universe is growing the way it is
By Ben Turner published
A dense cluster of bright stars, each with six large and two small diffraction spikes, due to the telescope’s optics.
James Webb Space Telescope smashes its own record to find the earliest galaxies that ever existed
By Ben Turner published
James Webb Space Telescope image of the stellar nursery N79 in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way.
Scientists analyze largest map of the universe ever created — and it proves Einstein right yet again
By Ben Turner published
The largest survey of our universe ever conducted suggests that it closely matches the model most favored by cosmologists. It's unclear what this means for alternative theories attempting to explain bizarre discrepancies.
James Webb telescope uncovers 1st-ever 'Einstein zig-zag' hiding in plain sight — and it could help save cosmology
By Harry Baker published
A new JWST study has revealed the true origins of a luminous quasar that has been duplicated six times as its light "zig-zags" through space-time via a phenomenon first predicted by Albert Einstein. The unusual light show could help tackle one of cosmology's biggest problems, experts claim.
'The bottom line is, I told you so': JWST observations upend standard model of how galaxies form, new study claims
By Ben Turner published
The James Webb Space Telescope's discovery of unusually bright and massive galaxies soon after the Big Bang has cast doubt on the standard model of galaxy evolution and bolstered a rival theory for how physics may work on large scales, according to a team of astronomers.
Supernova that lit up Earth's skies 843 years ago has a flowering 'zombie star' at its heart — and it's still exploding
By Harry Baker published
A new animated map sheds light on the superhot "zombie star" at the heart of a nebula leftover from a distant supernova witnessed by astronomers in 1181. The remains of the stellar explosion are unusually wonky and are still exploding at a constant speed.
Euclid telescope reveals 1st section of largest-ever 3D map of the universe — and there's still 99% to go
By Ben Turner published
The first piece of the Euclid space telescope's map of the universe is crammed with 14 million galaxies and 100 million sources of light. The mapping project is now 1% done.
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