ScienceAugust 28, 2026

reionization

ree-eye-uh-nih-ZAY-shun

Definition

The historical process in the early universe where radiation from the first stars and galaxies stripped electrons from neutral hydrogen atoms, turning the universe transparent.

Etymology

Derived from the prefix 're-' (again) combined with 'ionization,' a term originating from the Greek 'ion' (going) and the suffix '-ization,' referring to the process of electrically charging atoms.

In the news

Reionization is listed as one of the specific astrophysical topics researchers will investigate using data from the Roman Space Telescope to better understand the evolution of the early universe.

NASA’s Roman telescope will see 100 times more sky than Hubble

Read the full article ↗

Science Daily

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