Robert Lea is a science journalist in the U.K. whose articles have been published in Physics World, New Scientist, Astronomy Magazine, All About Space, Newsweek and ZME Science. He also writes about science communication for Elsevier and the European Journal of Physics. Rob holds a bachelor of science degree in physics and astronomy from the U.K.’s Open University. Follow him on Twitter @sciencef1rst.
Latest articles by Robert Lea

James Webb Space Telescope watches distant galaxies form farthest cluster ever seen in the ancient universe (image)
By Robert Lea published
"JADES-ID1 is giving us new evidence that the universe was in a huge hurry to grow up."

Large Hadron Collider reveals 'primordial soup' of the early universe was surprisingly soupy
By Robert Lea published
Waiter, there's a quark in my soup!

1.1 million mph cosmic winds race through 'magnetic superhighway' in colliding galaxies
By Robert Lea published
Astronomers have discovered powerful magnetic fields steering gas, dust, and star formation in a dramatic galaxy merger.

Astronomers watch 1st black hole ever imaged launch a 3,000‑light‑year‑long cosmic jet from its glowing 'shadow'
By Robert Lea published
"It is amazing to see that we are gradually moving towards combining these breakthrough observations across multiple frequencies and completing the picture of the jet launching region."

Astronomers discover the 'growing pains' of teenage exoplanets
By Robert Lea published
"We've often seen the 'baby pictures' of planets forming, but until now, the 'teenage years' have been a missing link."

Artemis Accords: What are they & which countries are involved?
By Robert Lea last updated
Reference As the Artemis program aims to return humanity to the moon and beyond, the Artemis Accords lay out a framework for nations collaborating in this effort.

Are mysterious 'Little Red Dots' discovered by the James Webb Space Telescope actually nurseries for direct-collapse black holes?
By Robert Lea published
"It is exciting to think that Little Red Dots may represent the first direct observational evidence of the birth of the most massive black holes in the universe."

Scientists just got the clearest picture of the dark universe yet: 'Now the dream has come true'
By Robert Lea published
"These results from the Dark Energy Survey shine new light on our understanding of the universe and its expansion."

A mystery object is holding this 120 million-mile-wide cloud of vaporized metal together
By Robert Lea published
"Stars like the sun don’t just stop shining for no reason."

A black hole 'feeding frenzy' could help explain a cosmic mystery uncovered by the James Webb Space Telescope
By Robert Lea published
"It is exciting to think that Little Red Dots may represent the first direct observational evidence of the birth of the most massive black holes in the universe."

James Webb Space Telescope discovers what remains after two stars collide and explode as a red nova
By Robert Lea published
"Until now, it was unknown what type of star would remain after the merger."

Wobbling exoplanet hints at a hidden exomoon so massive it could redefine the word 'moon' altogether
By Robert Lea published
"In our solar system, the most massive moon is Ganymede, which is still extremely small compared to what we are inferring here."

'Eye of God' nebula looks like a cosmic lava lamp in new James Webb Space Telescope image
By Robert Lea published
It may be one of the most iconic sights in the night sky, but astronomers have never seen the Helix Nebula like this before.

You're getting warmer! Hot dark matter could refine cosmic game of hide and seek
By Robert Lea published
"Dark matter can be red hot when it is born, but still have time to cool down before galaxies begin to form."

Mysterious polar weather on Jupiter and Saturn could be key to understanding their insides
By Robert Lea published
"I don't think anyone's made this connection between the surface fluid pattern and the interior properties of these planets."

James Webb Space Telescope discovers young galaxies age rapidly: 'It's like seeing 2-year-old children act like teenagers'
By Robert Lea published
"The knowledge of these will ultimately help us understand the formation of the first stars and planets and how our own Milky Way came into being."

Reborn black hole seen erupting across 1 million light-years of space like a cosmic volcano
By Robert Lea published
"It's like watching a cosmic volcano erupt again after ages of calm — except this one is big enough to carve out structures stretching nearly a million light-years across space."

Astronomers discover an enormous iron bar in the famous Ring Nebula: 'We definitely need to know more'
By Robert Lea published
"One thing popped out as clear as anything, this previously unknown 'bar' of ionized iron atoms, in the middle of the familiar and iconic ring."

Hubble Telescope watches star blast out jet of hot gas 32 light-years long
By Robert Lea published
The protostar is launching the longest outburst ever seen at 32 light-years long.

When is the winter solstice and what happens?
By Robert Lea last updated
Reference Winter Solstice has long marked a time of rebirth, behind it are fascinating astronomical events.

What are 'dark' stars? Scientists think they could explain 3 big mysteries in the universe
By Robert Lea published
"This is a structure we've never seen before, so it could be a new class of dark object."

Massive supernova explosion may have created a binary black hole
By Robert Lea published
"Our study provides a new direction to understand the whole evolutionary history of massive stars toward the formation of black hole binaries."

NASA X-ray instrument finds black holes act like 'cosmic seesaws' shaping the universe
By Robert Lea published
"We're seeing what could be described as an energetic tug-of-war inside the black hole's accretion flow."

'Death by a thousand cuts': James Webb Space Telescope figures out how black hole murdered Pablo's Galaxy
By Robert Lea published
"It points to a slow starvation rather than a single dramatic death blow."

Astronomers watch 2 supermassive black holes caught in a twisted dance with never-before-seen jet behavior
By Robert Lea published
"This result shows that the Event Horizon Telescope is not only useful for producing spectacular images, but can also be used to understand the physics that govern black hole jets."
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