The Atlantic

The Eerie Alignment of Ancient Giant Galaxies

New research using Hubble shows these massive, bright objects aligned with their surroundings as far back as 10 billion years ago.
Source: NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope

The Hubble Space Telescope is the closest thing humanity has to a time machine. It captures light that left  galaxies billions of years ago, photographing the cosmos as it was near the beginning of time. The light from the farthest galaxy Hubble has ever observed took 13.4 billion years to reach its mirrors. The galaxy to us, but we’re seeing that inkblot as it was just 400 million years after the Big Bang. Hubble data turns scientists into

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Atlantic

The Atlantic5 min read
The Strangest Job in the World
This is an edition of the Books Briefing, our editors’ weekly guide to the best in books. Sign up for it here. The role of first lady couldn’t be stranger. You attain the position almost by accident, simply by virtue of being married to the president
The Atlantic5 min readAmerican Government
What Nikki Haley Is Trying to Prove
This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here. Nikki Haley faces terrible odds in her home state of
The Atlantic3 min read
The Coen Brothers’ Split Is Working Out Fine
It’s still a mystery why the Coen brothers stopped working together. The pair made 18 movies as a duo, from 1984’s Blood Simple to 2018’s The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, setting a new standard for black comedy in American cinema. None of those movies w

Related Books & Audiobooks