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Space

Transparent universe reveals hidden galaxies

By Rachel Courtland

2 December 2009

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Seeing blazars so clearly has called into question what we know about star formation and evolution

(Image: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab)

THE universe is far more transparent at high energies than we thought. This discovery – based on sightings of unexpectedly bright objects that should be too far away to see so clearly – may call into question our understanding of how galaxies are born and evolve.

“The universe is more transparent than expected, questioning what we know of galaxy formation”

Most light travels through the cosmos unimpeded. But photons with very high energies of more than 100 gigaelectronvolts…

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