Wednesday, September 2, 2026
Science

Declining star formation not caused by simple 'fuel crisis,' new measurements suggest

The universe has been having fewer and fewer stellar "babies." Over the past 4.5 billion years, the rate of star birth has crashed to less than half of what it once was. But here's the twist: the most essential "fuel" for making stars has barely decreased.

Declining star formation not caused by simple 'fuel crisis,' new measurements suggest
Image: Phys.org
The universe has been having fewer and fewer stellar "babies." Over the past 4.5 billion years, the rate of star birth has crashed to less than half of what it once was. But here's the twist: the most essential "fuel" for making stars has barely decreased.

Originally published at Phys.org

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