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

Giant radio telescope in the Utah desert could reveal hidden corners of the cosmos — and brand-new physics
By Paul Sutter published
Scientists say that the construction of a vast new radio telescope array in the Utah desert — known as the Deep Synoptic Array 2000 — could uncover some of the biggest outstanding mysteries in astronomy.

Did light exist at the beginning of the universe?
By Charles Q. Choi published
Was it dark after the Big Bang, or did light shine immediately?

James Webb telescope unveils largest-ever map of the universe
By Damien Pine published
The largest map of the universe, created with data from the James Webb Space Telescope, shows almost 800,000 galaxies crammed into a tiny piece of sky and spanning almost all of time.

What if the Big Bang wasn't the beginning? New research suggests it may have taken place inside a black hole
By Enrique Gaztanaga published
Was the Big Bang really the beginning of the universe, or are we 'bouncing' between periods of expansion and contraction? A new theory makes testable predictions.

Catastrophic collision between Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies may not happen after all, new study hints
By Ben Turner last updated
Astronomers have long predicted that a collision between our galaxy and nearby Andromeda could be inevitable, but new calculations suggest this may be an over exaggeration.

When will the universe die?
By Sarah Wells published
The universe has been expanding for 13.8 billion years, but this may not go on forever. According to some theories, we may be accelerating toward a cataclysmic end.

Gamma-ray bursts reveal largest structure in the universe is bigger and closer to Earth than we knew: 'The jury is still out on what it all means.'
By Robert Lea published
New research suggests that the largest cosmic structure is even bigger and closer to Earth than we knew. It goes against scientists' models of cosmic evolution.

Universe may revolve once every 500 billion years — and that could solve a problem that threatened to break cosmology
By Elana Spivack published
A slowly spinning universe could resolve a puzzle in physics known as the Hubble tension, a new model suggests.

The universe's 'missing matter' may have finally been found
By Joanna Thompson published
About half of the non-dark matter in the universe cannot be accounted for by stars and galaxies alone. Now, scientists say previously undetected clouds of hydrogen gas could finally reveal it.

Rare quadruple supernova on our 'cosmic doorstep' will shine brighter than the moon when it blows up in 23 billion years
By Harry Baker published
A pair of white dwarfs, located just 150 light-years from Earth, appears doomed to die in a type 1a supernova that will shine brighter than anything currently visible in the night sky. But humanity — and our planet — will be long gone before this happens.
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