The expanding universe research area investigates the observational and theoretical foundations of cosmic expansion, originating from general relativity and supported by redshift–distance relations, cosmic microwave background anisotropies, and large-scale structure surveys. It encompasses measurements of the Hubble parameter and its evolution, constraints on dark energy and matter content via cosmological parameters, and tests of the ΛCDM model and its alternatives. Research integrates numerical simulations, precision cosmology, and data from supernovae, baryon acoustic oscillations, and gravitational lensing to characterize the expansion history, probe deviations from general relativity, and refine models of early- and late-time cosmic dynamics.
Scientists are homing in on the nature of a mysterious force called dark energy, and nothing short of the fate of the universe hangs in the balance.
Astronomy
Mar 20, 2025
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A unique dataset of Type Ia supernovae being released today could change how cosmologists measure the expansion history of the universe.
Astronomy
Feb 14, 2025
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The universe really seems to be expanding fast. Too fast, even. A new measurement confirms what previous—and highly debated—results had shown: The universe is expanding faster than predicted by theoretical models, and faster ...
Astronomy
Jan 17, 2025
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1969
By looking at light from distant exploding stars called supernovas, in 1998 astronomers discovered the universe isn't just expanding—its expansion is speeding up. But what's behind this acceleration?
Astronomy
Jan 8, 2025
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181
Galaxies are not islands in the cosmos. While globally the universe expands—driven by the mysterious "dark energy"—locally, galaxies cluster through gravitational interactions, forming the cosmic web held together by dark ...
Astronomy
Jan 7, 2025
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One of the biggest mysteries in science—dark energy—doesn't actually exist, according to researchers looking to solve the riddle of how the universe is expanding.
Astronomy
Dec 20, 2024
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New observations from the James Webb Space Telescope suggest that a new feature in the universe—not a flaw in telescope measurements—may be behind the decade-long mystery of why the universe is expanding faster today than ...
Astronomy
Dec 9, 2024
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Astronomers have known for a century that the universe is expanding. We can now trace this expansion over much of its almost 14 billion year history, with important constraints going back to just one second after the Big ...
Gravity has shaped our cosmos. Its attractive influence turned tiny differences in the amount of matter present in the early universe into the sprawling strands of galaxies we see today. A new study using data from the Dark ...
Astronomy
Nov 19, 2024
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153
We've known the universe is expanding for a long time. The first solid paper demonstrating cosmic expansion was published by Edwin Hubble in 1929, based on observations made by Vesto Slipher, Milton Humason, and Henrietta ...
Astronomy
Oct 4, 2024
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