Astronomers Gear Up to Grapple with the High-Tension Cosmos

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April 21, 2022

Dear Reader, Scientists keep getting different numbers when they try to measure how fast the universe is expanding. One method, based on studying imprints from the early cosmos, gives one answer. Another strategy, which observes nearby lampposts in space such as supernovae, offers a different estimate. This discrepancy, scientists now suspect, might be related to another conflict in astronomy: the question of how clumpy matter is throughout space. Again, measurements from the early, distant universe point toward one conclusion, whereas observations of the local cosmos offer another. Writer Anil Ananthaswamy describes how a new generation of precision telescopes set to come online soon could finally resolve these mysteries. In other news this week, a report on priorities for planetary science over the next decade has just come out, recommending a mission to Uranus as the top choice for NASA's next flagship mission. And a new podcast details how some strange galaxies seem to lack dark matter, thought to be a prerequisite for galaxy formation.

Cosmology Astronomers Gear Up to Grapple with the High-Tension Cosmos A debate over conflicting measurements of key cosmological properties is set to shape the next decade of astronomy and astrophysics By Anil Ananthaswamy

Planetary Science Next Stop, Uranus? Icy Planet Tops Priority List for Next Big NASA Mission An influential panel's recommendation makes the ice giant a likely destination for a flagship space mission By Alexandra Witze,Nature magazine

Dark Matter Cosmic Simulation Shows How Dark-Matter-Deficient Galaxies Confront Goliath and Survive A research team finds seven tiny dwarf galaxies stripped of their dark matter that nonetheless persisted despite the theft. By Joanna Thompson | 05:49

Planetary Science Hubble Confirms Megacomet Bound for Inner Solar System Is Largest Ever Seen The icy nucleus of Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein is about 80 miles (129 kilometers) wide By Chelsea Gohd,SPACE.com

Astronomy Ukrainian Astronomers Discover 'Exocomets' around Another Star The alien comets could illuminate the history of their planetary system By Briley Lewis

Particle Physics Troubled U.S. Neutrino Project Faces Uncertain Future--and Fresh Opportunities A new two-phase approach to building the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment ignites controversy among particle physicists By Thomas Lewton

Astronomy China Is Hatching a Plan to Find Earth 2.0 A satellite will scour the Milky Way for exoplanets orbiting stars just like the sun By Yvaine Ye,Nature magazine

Cosmology Astronomers Spot Most Distant Galaxy Yet, 13.5 Billion Light-Years from Earth The surprisingly bright galaxy, called HD1, may contain some of the universe's first stars, as well as a supermassive black hole By Stefanie Waldek,SPACE.com

FROM THE STORE Scientific American Volume 326, Issue 5

QUOTE OF THE DAY "This mission will be absolutely transformative." Amy Simon, planetary scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

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FROM THE ARCHIVE Are We Doing Enough to Protect Earth from Asteroids? Scientists lost one of their best tools with the demise of the Arecibo telescope By Sarah Scoles | June 2021

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