astrophysics

For decades, astronomers have described the impending head-on collision between our Milky Way and the neighboring Andromeda galaxy as a foregone conclusion. Early measurements of Andromeda’s motion, combined with gravitational models, suggested the two galaxies would merge in roughly five billion years, triggering spectacular bursts of star formation and fundamentally reshaping the Local Group. However, a new study that synthesizes the latest observational data from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Gaia mission finds that a direct collision may be far less certain than previously believed.

The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) has signed a third memorandum of understanding to broaden its partnership with the Einstein Telescope (ET) project, aiming to leverage synergies between particle accelerator technology and next-generation gravitational-wave detection. As CERN continues work on future collider concepts such as the Future Circular Collider (FCC), the agreement extends cooperation into engineering and safety studies—key elements in both underground gravitational-wave facilities and large-scale accelerator complexes.

In a remarkable breakthrough that promises to reshape our understanding of the nearby universe, an international team of scientists led by a Rutgers University-New Brunswick astrophysicist and including Dr Thomas Haworth of Queen Mary University of London has discovered a colossal star-forming cloud close to the Solar System. This newly identified structure, named the "Eos" molecular cloud, marks one of the largest single structures ever observed in the sky and ranks among the closest to Earth and the Sun.

For decades, planetary scientists have puzzled over a major Martian mystery: why are the strongest traces of Mars’ ancient magnetic field found almost exclusively in the planet’s southern hemisphere? A new study may finally have the answer—and it lies at the heart of the Red Planet.

A team of physicists has made a significant leap in understanding and simulating magnetic structures known as skyrmions—microscopic whirlpools of spinning electrons. These structures have been hailed as a potential foundation for next-generation data storage due to their stability, efficiency, and size. The study, published in Physical Review X on March 11, introduces a new simulation model that bypasses computational limitations and could dramatically accelerate spintronics research.

The night sky is a tapestry of mystery. When you peer into the vastness, it is easy to assume that cosmic objects scatter themselves randomly. Yet new research suggests that there is a curious pattern to galaxy rotations—one that just might imply the entire Universe was born spinning. More radically, some astronomers are even revisiting the notion that we all live inside a colossal black hole.

A groundbreaking new 3D map of the universe is challenging our current understanding of cosmic forces. Developed from data collected by the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) at the Mayall Telescope in Arizona, this map—detailing information on more than 14 million galaxies—offers scientists an unprecedented view of the cosmos. The latest observations suggest that dark energy, the mysterious force believed to drive the accelerated expansion of the universe, may be weakening over time, a finding that could upend the long-held Lambda-CDM model of cosmology.

The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Euclid mission is delivering on its promise to revolutionize our understanding of the cosmos. In a groundbreaking first major release of observations, the telescope has captured images of 26 million galaxies spanning over 10 billion years of cosmic history. This treasure trove of data has allowed researchers to compile a detailed catalogue of 380,000 galaxies, unveiling an astonishing array of galactic structures and interactions. From galaxies caught in the act of merging to those distorted by gravitational forces, the images present an unparalleled window into the evolution and composition of the universe.