Space signal could reveal how universe turned from dark to light
A radio signal from the early universe, known as the 21-centimetre signal, offers a unique opportunity to understand how the first stars and galaxies emerged.
This faint glow originates from over 13 billion years ago, approximately 100 million years after the Big Bang, and is created by hydrogen atoms.
Scientists plan to use a radio antenna called REACH (Radio Experiment for the Analysis of Cosmic Hydrogen) to capture these signals and gather data about the universe's beginnings.
Researchers developed a model predicting how REACH and the Square Kilometre Array can provide information about the masses and other details of the first stars.
The work, published in Nature Astronomy, suggests that radio telescopes like REACH can reveal crucial details about the nature and mass of these early stars, which may have differed from today's stars.
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10 hours ago
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Space signal could reveal how universe turned from dark to light
A radio signal from the early universe, known as the 21-centimetre signal, offers a unique opportunity to understand how the first stars and galaxies emerged. This faint glow originates from over 13 billion years ago, approximately 100 million years after the Big Bang, and is created by hydrogen atoms. Scientists plan to use a radio antenna called REACH (Radio Experiment for the Analysis of Cosmic Hydrogen) to capture these signals and gather data about the universe's beginnings. Researchers developed a model predicting how REACH and the Square Kilometre Array can provide information about the masses and other details of the first stars. The work, published in Nature Astronomy, suggests that radio telescopes like REACH can reveal crucial details about the nature and mass of these early stars, which may have differed from today's stars.
The Independent
12 hours ago
- The Independent
A radio signal from the beginning of the universe could reveal how everything began
A radio signal from the early universe could allow us to understand how everything that surrounds us began. The signal – known as the 21-centimetre signal – could finally let us understand how the first stars and galaxies switched on, and brought the universe from darkness to light. 'This is a unique opportunity to learn how the universe's first light emerged from the darkness,' said co-author Anastasia Fialkov from Cambridge University, in a statement. 'The transition from a cold, dark universe to one filled with stars is a story we're only beginning to understand.' The signal comes to us from more than 13 billion years ago, just a hundred million years after the Big Bang. The faint glow is created by hydrogen atoms that fill up the space between regions of space where stars are being formed.
