Scientists Observe Light Of "Cosmic Dawn" With Telescope On Earth For The First Time Ever
Astronomers have used Earth-based telescopes to observe "Cosmic Dawn", which is the early period in the universe's history, around 800 million years after the Big Bang, when the first stars and galaxies formed, emitting light that ended the cosmic dark ages.
This era was a significant milestone in the universe's evolution as massive stars and galaxies were formed and the universe's structure and composition were shaped.
Scientists have used James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) observations of distant galaxies to get insights into the cosmic dawn. Computational models also help understand galaxy formation and evolution.
"People thought this couldn't be done from the ground. Astronomy is a technology-limited field, and microwave signals from the Cosmic Dawn are famously difficult to measure," team leader and Johns Hopkins professor of physics and astronomy, Tobias Marriage, said in a statement.
"Ground-based observations face additional challenges compared to space. Overcoming those obstacles makes this measurement a significant achievement," Marriage added.
Cosmic dawn insights shed light on the universe's early stages, providing an understanding of the universe's origins.
The scientists were able to get a new glimpse of Cosmic Dawn using the Cosmology Large Angular Scale Surveyor (CLASS), which is an array of telescopes located high in the Atacama Desert region of Northern Chile.
The main objective of CLASS is to observe the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), which is a cosmic fossil left over from an event just after the Big Bang.
The changes in the atmosphere, weather and temperature can distort the light, broadcast radio waves, radar, and satellites can access their signal on Earth.
The light from Cosmic Dawn is extremely faint as the wavelength is in millimetres, which is obvious as it has travelled to us for 13 billion years and more. The signal from polarised microwave light is about a million times fainter.
Polarisation means the orientation of oscillations or vibrations in a wave, such as light or electromagnetic waves. This can happen when light hits an object and scatters off it.
"When light hits the hood of your car and you see a glare, that's polarization. To see clearly, you can put on polarized glasses to take away glare," said team member Yunyang Li, who was a PhD student at Johns Hopkins.
"Using the new common signal, we can determine how much of what we're seeing is cosmic glare from light bouncing off the hood of the Cosmic Dawn, so to speak," added Yunyang, who was a fellow at the University of Chicago while this research was being conducte
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Time of India
Pig tissue cornea implants offers new treatment for advanced keratoconus
Hyderabad: According to a recent study conducted by doctors at L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) in Hyderabad, cornea implants made from pig tissues might offer a new treatment option for patients with advanced keratoconus. Keratoconus causes the cornea to become too thin and bulge, resulting in blurred vision and, in severe cases, significant vision impairment. The study, published in the US-based Journal of Refractive Surgery, aimed to determine the efficacy of xenogeneic corneal implants, whereby damaged or diseased corneal tissue is replaced with tissue from a different species, typically pigs. Doctors said this reduces the need for human corneas, which are already hard to find in many places. During the clinical trial, doctors placed a small, soft, disc-shaped piece of tissue called a lenticule, made from porcine (pig) collagen, into the corneas of nine patients with advanced keratoconus. The average age of the patients was 28 years. Following the procedure, all of the patients' vision improved significantly as none of their bodies rejected the implants. Their logMAR improved from 1.43 to 0.78. However, in two cases, the tissue around the implant started to thin again and further treatment was required. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Heads Turn as Walgreens Shoppers Discover 87¢ ED Pills fridayplans Learn More Undo Distance vision improved "All the patients have been followed up regularly and are doing well,'"said Dr Rashmi Deshmukh, the study's lead author from LVPEI, told TOI, adding that as well as improving distance vision without glasses, the results showed that the bulging part of the eye became flatter over time. Doctors said that the implants are effective because they resemble human corneas. "Among the species that have been explored so far, porcine collagen most closely resembles human collagen, which is why it is the preferred choice. However, it may be possible in the future for corneal implants to be made from collagen of other species too," said Dr Rashmi. The doctors said that the study was necessary because usual cases of keratoconus could be treated with minimal surgery, after which contact lenses or glasses could be used to improve visual acuity. However, these treatments could only be used if the cornea was sufficiently thick. There were, however, limited treatments available for cases where keratoconus advanced and the cornea became too thin. Only corneal transplantation (keratoplasty), another surgical procedure, was possible. Although pig implants have provided a breakthrough, doctors still need to examine the 'crosslinking process' to determine whether any of the chemicals involved cause an inflammatory reaction in the eye. "Further research is needed to see if there is any way to modify the pig implant to allow important nutrients to reach the front part of the cornea (the part above the implant) to maintain healthy eyes," said Dr Rashmi. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
Hindustan Times
12 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Neurotech and brain data: New frontier of privacy concerns
Consumer neurotechnology is no longer confined to sci-fi or academic labs. Thanks to AI advancements and shrinking chip sizes, devices that read brain activity, like EEG headsets, mood-tracking earbuds, and brain-controlled gaming accessories are entering the mainstream. Since 2011, over 130 startups have jumped into the consumer neurotech space. These tools, often embedded in wearables, promise productivity boosts, mental health insights, and immersive control over AR/VR environments. Tech giants like Apple and Snap are already exploring brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) for future headsets that could respond to mental states in real time. How Neurotech Works—And why It's risky EEG-based devices dominate this landscape, powering nearly 65% of consumer neurotech products. They track brainwave patterns linked to emotions, focus, and engagement levels. That may sound harmless until you realise this data could be mined to predict behaviours, preferences, or even political leanings. Imagine hyper-targeted ads based not on clicks, but on neural spikes. Or worse, cognitive surveillance, where employers or governments monitor attention levels, emotional stress, or signs of dissent. Cyberattacks targeting BCIs could introduce 'mental hacks', altering thought patterns or inducing confusion and distress. As one expert puts it, 'Brain data reveals thoughts before they're consciously expressed.' Regulatory gaps and urgent challenges The legal protections around all this? Alarmingly thin. While medical neurotech is regulated (MRIs or brain implants), consumer-grade EEG headsets fall into a grey zone. In the U.S., the FDA only monitors medical devices. State laws in places like California and Colorado require user consent for neural data use, but there's little enforcement. Internationally, concerns are mounting: China has tested neurotech in workplaces to track employee fatigue, while neuromarketing firms tap EEG feedback to fine-tune advertisements. 'Neural data could be weaponized for psychological warfare or blackmail.' Path forward So what now? We need clear federal laws that define how brain data can be collected, stored, and shared. Users should know exactly what's being tracked and who has access to it. Neural data must be encrypted, just like financial or medical records. Most importantly, the public must be made aware of what 'brain transparency' really means. Because the future of privacy may no longer be in your hands, but in your head. First Published Date: 12 Jun, 21:23 IST
Hans India
12 hours ago
- Hans India
Nasa's Chandra detects powerful black hole jet during universe's 'cosmic noon'
In a remarkable cosmic discovery, NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has detected a surprisingly powerful jet emerging from a supermassive black hole located 11.6 billion light-years from Earth. This black hole existed during "cosmic noon"—a period roughly three billion years after the Big Bang, when galaxies and black holes grew at record rates. Working alongside the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), astronomers captured X-ray and radio data that reveal the jet's extraordinary reach—over 300,000 light-years—and the extreme speeds of the particles within it, approaching 99% the speed of light. The black hole's jet became visible because it collided with the dense sea of cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation—the ancient light left over from the Big Bang. These high-speed electrons boosted CMB photons into the X-ray range, enabling Chandra to detect them despite the vast distance. Two black holes, designated J1405+0415 and J1610+1811, were confirmed to have jets traveling at relativistic speeds. Remarkably, the jet from J1610+1811 carries nearly half as much energy as the light from gas orbiting the black hole, highlighting its immense power. Because of special relativity, jets moving toward Earth appear brighter, creating a detection bias. The research team overcame this challenge by developing a novel statistical model that factors in these relativistic effects. Through thousands of simulations, they estimated the jets' viewing angles—approximately 9° and 11° from Earth's line of sight. These findings were presented by lead researcher Jaya Maithil of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian at the 246th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Anchorage, Alaska. The results will be published in The Astrophysical Journal, with a preprint already available online. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center manages the Chandra program, with science operations led from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's Chandra X-ray Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
