The Black Hole That Birthed the Big Bang
Is the big bang, and all that came from it, a holographic mirage from another dimension?
Features
The First Stars in the Universe
Not long after the big bang's flash, all light left the cosmos. Astronomers are now solving the mystery of its return
Dark Energy: No Answers but More Questions
Why is the expansion of the universe accelerating? After two decades of study, the answer is as mysterious as ever, but the questions have become clearer
Gravitational Waves Discovered from Colliding Black Holes
A daring set of experiments finally confirms Einstein's 1916 prediction of gravitational waves
Can Quantum Mechanics Save the Cosmic Multiverse?
A surprising connection between cosmology and quantum mechanics could unveil the secrets of space and time
How Astronomers Found Our Cosmic Address
The Milky Way turns out to be part of a massive supercluster of galaxies that forms one of the largest known structures in the universe. This discovery is only the beginning of a new effort to map the cosmos...
Entangled Wormholes Could Pave the Way for Quantum Gravity
The weird quantum phenomenon of entanglement could produce shortcuts between distant black holes
Strange Supernovae Reveal New Stellar Secrets
Every year thousands of exploding stars appear in a bizarre assortment of forms. Astronomers want to know what makes them go boom
The Hunt for Alien Molecules
Astrochemists are discovering many compounds in the cosmos that cannot exist on Earth
Shredded Stars Offer New View of Supermassive Black Holes
New techniques reveal how supermassive black holes shred entire stars
Is Earth's Life Unique in the Universe?
To know whether life exists beyond Earth, we must come to terms with our own significance in the universe. Are we uniquely special or merely mediocre?
Astronomers Search for Moons Circling Distant Exoplanets
Moons orbiting distant exoplanets may account for most of the habitable locales in the galaxy. If only we could find them
Have Aliens Built Huge Structures around Boyajian's Star?
Alien technology is probably not causing Boyajian's star to dim mysteriously. But alternative explanations are hard to come by
Enceladus's Hydrothermal Vents Could Revolutionize the Search for Extraterrestrial Life
Evidence mounts that Saturn's icy moon harbors active hydrothermal vents, making it one of the hottest places to look for life beyond Earth
How to Search for Life on Mars
Experiments now under development could finally answer one of the most profound questions in science: Does life exist outside of Earth?
Planets More Habitable Than Earth May Be Common in Our Galaxy
Planets quite different from our own may be the best homes for life in the universe
Departments
- From the Editor
Mysterious Universe
- Graphic Science
How Old Observations Are Building Hubble's Legacy
