The cosmic observatory / science & discovery

Into the
unknown.

From the invisible mass holding galaxies together to the quantum structure of spacetime. Explore the questions that keep the universe interesting.

Explore the research ↓Watch & learn ↗

Seven fields · selected experts · daily source checks

Illustrated black-hole shadow surrounded by a tilted accretion disk — At the edge of what we know.Conceptual illustration, not observational data.

The daily research desk

Fresh questions.
New evidence.

Selected topic matches from arXiv and NASA. arXiv entries are research preprints and may not have been peer reviewed. A new paper is a claim to examine, not automatically an established discovery.

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Not a complete literature index. Source publication dates appear on each entry. Quiet days may have no new matches. Search all of arXiv ↗ · NASA Universe ↗

A field guide to the frontiers

Meet the questions.
Meet the researchers.

Selected influential researchers across these fields, rather than a ranking of “the best.” Profiles checked September 25, 2026. Research papers refresh separately from these editorial profiles.

01 / The invisible architecture

Dark matter

Galaxies and galaxy clusters behave as though they contain much more mass than we can see. Dark matter is the name for that unseen contribution. Its gravitational effects are well supported, but its particle identity remains unknown. Researchers compare galaxy motions, gravitational lensing and cosmic structure with searches for new particles.

Strong gravitational evidence · identity unknown

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A researcher to follow · MIT

Tracy Slatyer

A particle astrophysicist investigating dark matter through theory and possible signals in high-energy astronomical observations. Her work connects particle models with the history and structure of the universe.

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02 / Where gravity takes over

Black holes

A black hole contains a region from which light cannot escape. Astronomers study the matter around it, the motion of nearby stars and gravitational waves from mergers. These observations test general relativity. The event horizon is a boundary, not a solid surface; a bright accretion disk belongs to material outside it.

Observed through multiple independent methods

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A researcher to follow · UCLA Galactic Center Group

Andrea Ghez

An observational astronomer whose tracking of stars near the Milky Way’s center established compelling evidence for a supermassive black hole. Her group uses stellar orbits to probe gravity and the Galactic Center.

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03 / An expanding mystery

Dark energy

The expansion of the universe is accelerating. Dark energy names the unknown contribution used to describe this behavior in the standard cosmological model. A cosmological constant is one possibility. Large galaxy surveys and distance measurements test whether a constant is sufficient or whether its behavior changes over cosmic time.

Acceleration observed · explanation under investigation

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A researcher to follow · Stanford / KIPAC

Risa Wechsler

A cosmologist studying how galaxies and large-scale structure reveal the universe’s contents and history. Her research and survey work connect galaxy formation with tests of dark matter and dark energy.

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04 / Bridges in the equations

Wormholes

Some solutions and models in gravitational physics connect separated regions of spacetime. Researchers use these ideas to investigate geometry, entanglement and quantum information. No astronomical wormhole has been observed. A mathematical bridge does not automatically allow a person, signal or spacecraft to travel through it.

Theoretical · no observed astronomical examples

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A researcher to follow · Institute for Advanced Study

Juan Maldacena

A theoretical physicist known for the gauge/gravity correspondence. His research connects quantum field theory, black holes and spacetime, including theoretical relationships between entanglement and wormhole geometry.

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05 / The earliest expansion

Cosmic inflation

Inflation proposes a very early period of accelerated expansion. It offers explanations for the universe’s large-scale uniformity and for the seeds of later cosmic structure. Measurements of the cosmic microwave background constrain inflationary models, but the mechanism and any responsible field have not been directly established.

Influential theoretical framework · models being tested

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A researcher to follow · MIT

Alan Guth

A pioneer of inflationary cosmology whose research examines the early universe and inflation. His work helps frame questions about cosmic origins, the dynamics of expansion and possible inflationary histories.

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06 / Inside the strong interaction

Quantum chromodynamics

Quantum chromodynamics, or QCD, describes the strong interaction between quarks and gluons. Its behavior changes with energy and distance: quarks interact more weakly at very short distances but are confined inside ordinary hadrons. Calculations, collider experiments and lattice simulations investigate this quantum theory and the matter it produces.

Established quantum field theory · active precision research

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A researcher to follow · MIT

Iain Stewart

A theoretical physicist developing effective field theories for strong interactions and collider physics. These tools make complex QCD processes tractable and connect detailed predictions with experimental measurements.

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07 / Spacetime at its foundations

Quantum gravity

Quantum gravity seeks a consistent description of gravity that also respects quantum physics. Approaches include string theory, loop quantum gravity and other models of spacetime. Researchers study black-hole information, quantum geometry and the early universe. There is no experimentally confirmed complete theory of quantum gravity.

Open research · multiple competing approaches

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A researcher to follow · Perimeter Institute

Bianca Dittrich

A quantum-gravity researcher developing methods to connect microscopic models of geometry with the large-scale spacetime we observe. Her work includes spin-foam models and the problem of recovering continuum physics.

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Explore a black hole’s scale