Immediately after the Big Bang, which occurred around 13.8 billion years ago, the universe was dominated by unimaginably high temperatures and densities. However, after just a few seconds, it had ...

Seconds after the Big Bang, the newborn universe gave rise to the first elements—ionized forms of hydrogen and helium. These particles combined, forging helium hydride—the first ever molecule. It ...

The first type of molecule that ever formed in the universe has been detected in space for the first time, after decades of searching. Scientists discovered its signature in our own galaxy using the ...

About 13.8 billion years ago, the newborn universe was a blazing sea of energy and particles. Within minutes of the Big Bang, conditions had cooled enough for the very first atoms—mostly hydrogen, ...

Molecules containing noble gases shouldn’t exist. By definition, these chemical elements — helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon and radon — are the party poopers of the periodic table, huddling in the ...

Scientists have long suspected that helium hydride was the first molecule in the universe, but no one has ever detected it in space until now. NASA researchers have spotted helium hydride many light ...

Recreating the conditions of the very early universe has allowed researchers to observe the earliest molecule in the universe, helium hydride, and its behavior. The achievement has produced more than ...

This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Space.com's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. For decades, astronomers have wondered what the very ...

Reaction scheme and energetic level of the investigated reaction of the helium hydride ion with deuterium. It is a swift and barrierless reaction, contrary to earlier theories. Background: The ...

For decades, astronomers have wondered what the very first stars in the universe were like. These stars formed new chemical elements, which enriched the universe and allowed the next generations of ...