Cosmology
Key eras and ages of the Universe
Is dark matter light? Mysterious chemistry at the centre of our Galaxy points to a new feather weight option
How do we measure distance in space?
How do we know how far away objects are in space, and what units of measurements are used in astronomy for determining these distances?
Light can't escape their grasp, so how do scientists study black holes? We asked a theoretical physicist to find out
How do you study an object so dense that not even light can escape its gravitational pull?
This is what would happen if you fell into a black hole
If you fell into a black hole, could you survive? What would happen, and what would you see?
Has JWST solved the question of the Universe's expansion rate?
Massive objects in the Universe warp the fabric of spacetime. A beginner's guide to gravitational lensing
What is gravitational lensing, and why is it useful to astronomers? We explore how bends in spacetime enable telescopes to see farther into the Universe.
9 things we still don't know about the Universe
Some of the cosmic mysteries eluding explanation.
Neutrinos could explain why the Universe didn’t just disappear after the Big Bang
Studying the fundamental particles known as neutrinos could reveal why there is any matter in the Universe at all.
What came before the Big Bang? These are the best theories we have about the origin of the cosmos
We explore the theories about one of the most mind-boggling questions about the Universe.
Antimatter explained
Why is there more matter than antimatter in the Universe?
Has JWST broken cosmology?
From theories of early galaxies to the expansion of the Universe, JWST has fundamentally challenged what we thought we knew.
Hubble tension explained
Why cosmologists can’t agree on an answer to how fast the Universe is expanding.
Interview | How we photographed the black hole in M87
In 2019 astronomers released the first image of a black hole. But how was it done and what does the image show? We spoke to astronomer Heino Falcke to find out.
Expansion of the Universe
What do we really know about the expansion of the Universe?
Interview | Astrophysicist Dr Katie Mack
Have you ever contemplated the end of the Universe? Astrophysicist Katie Mack has. A lot. We spoke to her to find out more about the end of everything.
Understanding the Universe: what we know and the many secrets we've yet to discover
In this article from the archives, Patrick Moore contemplates how far we've come in our understanding of the Universe, and how far we've yet to go.
Eye On The Sky | Chandra X-ray images reveal the beauty of the cosmos
A set of newly-released images show incredible astronomical phenomena in light invisible to the naked eye.
21 coolest things in space
Our pick of some of the coolest things in space that we know of.
Could Earth ever be swallowed by a black hole?
Is it possible for Earth to fall into a black hole? Should we be worried about our home planet disappearing any time soon?
When we look at the night sky, we're looking back in time. This is how far back we can see
The time it takes for light from objects in space to reach Earth means that when we look at planets, stars and galaxies, we're actually peering back in time.
Here's how James Webb Space Telescope could help astronomers nail down the rate of expansion of the Universe
JWST could be crucial in resolving differences in the measurement of the Hubble Constant.
How old is the Universe?
How do astronomers estimate how old the Universe is, and could they be wrong?
5 things you always wanted to know about the Big Bang theory and the birth of our Universe
Want to know more about the Big Bang? Here are some of our favourite FAQs concerning the beginning of the Universe.