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Kavli Institute for Cosmology, Cambridge

 
Read more at: CosmoCube: Probing the Cosmic Dark Ages with a Miniature Radiometer in Lunar Orbit
An artist’s impression of the UK-led CosmoCube spacecraft, which would orbit be tasked with listening out for an “ancient whisper” from the early universe on the far side of the Moon. Credit Nicolo Bernardini (SSTL Ltd) & Kaan Artuc (University of Cambrid

CosmoCube: Probing the Cosmic Dark Ages with a Miniature Radiometer in Lunar Orbit

10 July 2025

Astronomers want to unlock the secrets of the 'Cosmic Dawn' by sending a miniature spacecraft to listen out for an "ancient whisper" on the far side of the Moon. The proposed mission will study the very early universe, right after the Big Bang, when it was still quite dark and empty before the first stars and galaxies...


Read more at: Rubin Observatory reveals first images

Rubin Observatory reveals first images

25 June 2025

The Vera C Rubin Observatory, a new scientific facility that will bring the night sky to life like never before using the largest camera ever built, has revealed its ‘first look’ images at the start of its 10-year survey of the cosmos. The Rubin Observatory , jointly funded by the US National Science Foundation and the US...


Read more at: Cosmic signal from the very early universe will help astronomers detect the first stars

Cosmic signal from the very early universe will help astronomers detect the first stars

24 June 2025

Understanding how the universe transitioned from darkness to light with the formation of the first stars and galaxies is a key turning point in the universe’s development, known as the Cosmic Dawn. However, even with the most powerful telescopes, we can’t directly observe these earliest stars, so determining their...


Read more at: Gallery: Kavli Foundation President and CEO visit

Gallery: Kavli Foundation President and CEO visit

2 June 2025

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Read more at: Weighing up Dark Matter with Dwarf Galaxies

Weighing up Dark Matter with Dwarf Galaxies

28 May 2025

Kavli Fellow James Alvey and collaborators have recently found new methods to put a fundamental limit on the mass of dark matter. A widely used argument suggests that the de Broglie wavelength of dark matter particles must be smaller than the size of the galaxies they inhabit. This requirement has typically implied that...


Read more at: 2025 Shaw Prize in Astronomy awarded to George Efstathiou and John Richard Bond

2025 Shaw Prize in Astronomy awarded to George Efstathiou and John Richard Bond

27 May 2025

The Shaw Prize in Astronomy 2025 is awarded in equal shares to John Richard Bond, Professor of the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics and University Professor at the University of Toronto, Canada and George Efstathiou, Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Cambridge, UK for their pioneering research...


Read more at: Simons Observatory Large Aperture Telescope Achieves First Light Milestone

Simons Observatory Large Aperture Telescope Achieves First Light Milestone

1 April 2025

The Simons Observatory (SO) has completed the installation of its Large Aperture Telescope (LAT) near the summit of Cerro Toco in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. The telescope joins the observatory’s three Small Aperture Telescopes (SAT) at the site. Together, the telescopes will collect the most precise measurements...


Read more at: Webb Telescope sees galaxy in mysteriously clearing fog of early Universe

Webb Telescope sees galaxy in mysteriously clearing fog of early Universe

28 March 2025

Astronomers have identified a bright hydrogen emission from a galaxy in the very early Universe. The surprise finding is challenging researchers to explain how this light could have pierced the thick fog of neutral hydrogen that filled space at that time. KICC Researcher Professor Roberto Maiolino said "This result was...


Read more at: Origins of black holes revealed in their spin, study finds

Origins of black holes revealed in their spin, study finds

13 January 2025

The size and spin of black holes can reveal important information about how and where they formed, according to new research. The study, co-authored by Dr Isobel M. Romero-Shaw (Herchel Smith Fellow at the University of Cambridge), tests the idea that many of the black holes observed by astronomers have merged multiple...


Read more at: Massive black hole in the early universe spotted taking a ‘nap’ after overeating

Massive black hole in the early universe spotted taking a ‘nap’ after overeating

20 December 2024

Scientists have spotted a massive black hole in the early universe that is ‘napping’ after stuffing itself with too much food. Like a bear gorging itself on salmon before hibernating for the winter, or a much-needed nap after Christmas dinner, this black hole has overeaten to the point that it is lying dormant in its host...