The Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT), an international project located at 5200 meters in the Atacama Desert in Chile, involving researchers from Sapienza University, including Elia Battistelli, Giovanni Isopi, Eleonora Barbavara, and Valentina Capalbo, has subjected the standard model of cosmology to a new and rigorous series of tests, demonstrating its remarkable robustness. The new images of the early universe reveal details of the first light emitted at the dawn of the cosmos with unprecedented clarity, showing the formation of ancient clouds of hydrogen and helium that would later give rise to the first stars and galaxies.

ACT has produced the highest-resolution images ever obtained of the early universe, capturing light from the most distant cosmic era humanity has ever accessed. By measuring the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), light that has traveled for over 13 billion years before reaching the telescope in the Chilean Andes, these images reveal the universe as it was around 380,000 years old.

ACT not only measures the intensity of the CMB but also its high-resolution polarization. This is a distinctive feature of ACT. The polarization image unveils the detailed motion of matter in the cosmic infancy. The CMB represents the earliest observable stage of the universe's history, offering a unique window into the origins of cosmic structure. These findings further validate the ΛCDM model, reinforcing our understanding of the universe's evolution.