Star formation collapses despite ample hydrogen — astronomers uncover cosmic puzzle

Star formation across the universe has fallen roughly 2.5 times over the past 4.5 billion years, yet the supply of neutral hydrogen — a key ingredient for making stars — has declined only about 1.4 times in the same period. Researchers used China's FAST radio telescope and data from around 2.5 million galaxies surveyed by DESI to reach this conclusion. The mismatch suggests a still-unknown bottleneck is suppressing star birth despite adequate raw material.

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