As galactic light fades, astronomers study the death of the universe

Here's some cosmically bad news: The universe is dying. An international team of scientists that used seven powerful telescopes around the world to capture light coming from more than 200,000 galaxies has found that they’re putting out half of the light that they did just 2 billion years ago – and they’re continuing to fade.

The findings, presented at the General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union in Honolulu, reveal the extent to which the cosmos are apparently losing steam, and could help astronomers better understand the evolution and structure of the cosmos.