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This story is part of our Cosmic Perspective special, in which we confront the staggering vastness of the cosmos and our place in it. Read the rest of the series here.
On a cold evening last October, I went into my garden to gaze at a fuzzy blob in the night sky. Unless you are in the darkest of places, this blob is so faint to the naked eye that it would be easy to convince yourself there is nothing there. I raised my binoculars to my face and an elongated smear with a bright centre appeared. This is…
