Contact

Reaching the editorial and research team behind Cosmology Authority follows a structured process designed to match each inquiry type with the appropriate handling pathway. This page covers what information to include in a message, realistic response timelines, alternative contact channels, and physical and digital office details. Accurate, complete inquiries receive faster routing and more substantive replies than open-ended requests.

What to include in your message

The quality of a response depends directly on the specificity of the inquiry. Cosmology Authority covers a broad scientific domain — from observational programs like the Planck satellite findings and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to theoretical frameworks including the Lambda-CDM model and loop quantum gravity. A vague subject line produces routing delays; a precise one does not.

Every message should include the following 5 elements:

1. Inquiry category — Choose from: editorial correction, source attribution question, research collaboration request, licensing or republication inquiry, or general scientific question.
2. Page or topic reference — Name the specific page or concept in question (e.g., "Hubble Constant" or "Baryon Acoustic Oscillations"). If no specific page applies, name the closest subject area.
3. Source being cited or disputed — For factual corrections, name the public source. Cosmology Authority relies on named institutions such as NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and peer-reviewed journals indexed by NASA/ADS.
4. Specific claim in question — Quote or paraphrase the exact sentence or data point, including any measurement, percentage, or named entity involved.
5. Contact information — A valid reply-to email address and, for institutional inquiries, the full name of the organization.

Messages missing elements 1 through 3 are categorized as low-priority and may not receive individual replies.

Editorial correction standard: Corrections are accepted only when accompanied by a named public source — a journal DOI, agency report URL, or statute citation. Assertions unsupported by a traceable public document are not processed as corrections regardless of the sender's credentials.

Response expectations

Response timelines vary by inquiry category. The following classification governs internal handling:

These windows represent internal targets, not contractual commitments. High-volume periods — typically aligned with major observatory release cycles such as James Webb Space Telescope data drops or ESA mission announcements — extend all categories by approximately 3 to 5 additional business days.

Auto-acknowledgment is sent within 24 hours of receipt for messages that include all 5 required elements listed in the section above. Messages missing key fields do not trigger auto-acknowledgment and enter a manual triage queue.

Duplicate submissions slow processing. If a follow-up is necessary, wait the full target window before sending a second message.

Additional contact options

Three alternative pathways exist for specific inquiry types:

For researchers and academic institutions: Inquiries related to data sourcing, methodology notes, or citation practices in cosmology are best routed through the formal contact form and tagged with the category "research collaboration." Reference to specific institutional affiliations — such as the California Institute of Technology, the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, or a university department — accelerates internal routing to the science editorial team.

For press and media: Journalists working on stories related to cosmological topics covered on this site — including gravitational waves (LIGO/Virgo cosmology), dark energy (dark energy), or the fate of the universe (fate of the universe) — should identify their publication and deadline in the first sentence of their message. Press inquiries without a named outlet are handled under the general scientific question timeline.

For educators: Teachers and curriculum developers requesting permission to adapt content for classroom use should specify the grade level, subject area, number of students, and distribution format. The NSF's National Science Education Standards framework is recognized as a valid context reference for such requests.

How to reach this office

All written inquiries are handled through the contact form embedded on this page. No postal address is published for unsolicited physical mail; physical correspondence is accepted only from institutional partners operating under a prior written agreement.

Email domain: All official outgoing correspondence originates from the cosmologyauthority.com domain. Messages purporting to be from this site using any other domain are not authentic.

Response authentication: Replies from the editorial team include a reference number matching the auto-acknowledgment sent at intake. If a received reply does not include this reference number, the message should be treated as unverified.

Jurisdiction: Cosmology Authority operates under United States law, with editorial operations subject to US intellectual property statutes including Title 17 of the US Code (copyright) for all original written content. Licensing inquiries are evaluated under this framework.

Accessibility: Individuals requiring communication accommodations — including alternative formats for written correspondence — should note this in the inquiry category field. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 42 U.S.C. § 12101, establishes the baseline accessibility standard applied to communication practices.

All inquiries are logged for quality assurance. Response data is retained for a minimum of 12 months following the close of each inquiry thread.

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