Inflation in the Universe
![Evolution of the universe with and without inflation](images/inflation_diagram.gif)
The Big Bang theory has a problem, say scientists. It can't go from a tiny ball of energy to the universe we see today without some help. It needs an adjustment called inflation.
Fool-Proofing Galactic "Candles"
![Artist's concept of a white dwarf in a binary system with another star](images/accreting_binary_tn.jpg)
The "standard candle" used for measuring the distance to other galaxies just got a much-needed tune-up.
Pulsar Gravitational Waves Win Nobel Prize
![Hulse](images/hulse_tn.jpg)
![Taylor](images/taylor_tn.png)
This year's Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded for the amazing discovery of the first indirect evidence for the existence of gravitational waves.
Baby Universe's 1st Picture
![COBE's map of the sky, showing minute fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background](images/COBE_cmb.jpg)
What did the newborn universe look like? In 1965, scientists used a radio telescope and found the answer. They discovered a background of microwave radiation that was very plain. Today's technology shows a more detailed picture of this cosmic microwave background (CMB), and it tells us there's a lot more to the story. The detail also provides further evidence of the Big Bang.
Pancake or Oatmeal Universe What's for Breakfast?
![A stack of pancakes](images/pancake_tn.jpg)
Over its lifetime, the universe started out fairly smooth, but has grown lumpy.
Dark Matter Hunt Heats Up
![Group of galaxies called NGC 2300](images/dark_matter_tn.jpg)
The mystery of dark matter just deepened. A new report takes a look at a huge mass of dark matter (equal to about the mass of about 20 trillion Suns) located in a small cluster of galaxies. Dark matter isn't visible, and scientists can't explain what it is.