Hubble Measurements Confirm There's Something Weird About How the Universe Is Expanding
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
As the space between the stars and galaxies grows, scientists have devised several ways to measure the rate of expansion. One method calculates the expansion based on the farthest radiation that our experiments can see, called the cosmic microwave background. Others have used information from supernovae to calculate the rate. Both of those methods have measured an expansion rate of around 67.7 kilometers per second per megaparsec—meaning for every 3.26 million light-years, the Universe is expanding another 67.7 kilometers per second faster.
But other measurements don’t agree. Scientists using the Hubble Space Telescope recalculated the Hubble constant with the help of a recent high-accuracy measurement of the distance to a nearby satellite galaxy called the Large Magellanic Cloud, as well as new observations of 70 Cepheid variables, a kind of pulsating star. Cepheids’ pulsation rate and brightness are closely enough related that their distance can be calculated. Combined with other improvements, they calculated the Universe’s expansion at 74 kilometers per second per megaparsec.
Basically—when scientists look farther away, the Universe seems to be expanding more slowly than when they look at the local Universe.
The new measurement officially makes the discrepancy significant enough that it’s implausible that it’s coming from random statistical fluctuations in the data. On top of that, other tests seem to show that the discrepancy isn’t caused by errors in any of the measurements. This means that the experiments might be measuring a feature of the Universe not explained by the most-accepted theory of cosmology.
It’s hard to say what’s truly going on, but the next step is clear. “Continued pursuit in precision in the determination of [the Hubble constant] is... needed to transition from the discovery of a difference to a diagnosis of its source,” the study authors write.
Scientists are already pursuing new ways to measure the Hubble constant, most notably using colliding neutron stars and the gravitational waves they produce in space itself. By calculating the distance to the collision using the gravitational waves and the speed that the stars are receding using the collision’s light, physicists will have another way to calculate the value of the Hubble constant.
So, again, it’s not that the Universe is expanding faster or slower than we previously thought. Instead, the discrepancy in these measurements may ultimately reveal an entirely new aspect of the Universe that scientists are currently in the dark about.
Initial image: The Large Magellanic Cloud with a Hubble close-up inset.
Credit: NASA, ESA, Adam Riess, and Palomar Digitized Sky Survey
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Einstein hit the brakes?
I think the future of human beings involves how we do things on this earth better. The "expanding universe" is a show and entertainment and a diversion for some.
Our ability to "see" endlessly into space has grown sort of exponentially over the years. One could be tempted to say "so what"?
With that ability has come greater knowledge of what surrounds us and how it all came to be.
The future or not of human beings on this planet is moot, overpopulation and our lack of respect for our environment has doomed us (if we do not manage to blow ourselves up beforehand). Sorry to be so glum but not a whole lot being done in either of those two regards and we may have passed the tipping point in my opinion.
It's awful to say, but I'm rooting for China. They're making serious efforts, while America is still raping the planet at the behest of its ultra-rich rulers.
Why ?
What are they doing that is considered a serious effort ?
Lots of things.
Space exploration and colonization will be corporatized, monetized, and exploited (think "Columbus" or the movie "Aliens"). We should keep our greed and dysfunctions confined to earth.
That tells me a bunch.
Again John hate to be glum, but tick tock, tick tock better begin to take action or we will not get to the point of exploration or colonization.
Better to take those funds and begin an concerted effort to clean up our mess here, let them corporatize and profit from that effort.
I'll be on the other side when the curtain falls so it only matters for the sake of those coming after myself.
You wouldn't believe anything I say, anyway. If you really interested, Google is your friend.
I notice that you make no Comment in reaction to "... while America is still raping the planet at the behest of its ultra-rich rulers." Is that an oversight, or do you agree?
Do you think your support for an authoritarian regime that's butchered millions and your disdain for America is something that requires comment? Must people always announce that water is wet every time they see water?
They're making serious efforts, while America is still raping the planet at the behest of its ultra-rich rulers.
You mean like building all those coal fired power plants?
The US has reduced emissions more than any other country.
Try me !
Hi, Sean.
Imagine what NASA could accomplish if it had the same budget as the US military.
NASA $19.5 billion
Military $989 Billion
Space Force zero (2019) , $270 Million (2020)
Seriously?
I assume the 2020 numbers are from the "Trump" budget?
Probably
Slash the military budget by half, and divide it between NASA and education. We would still have a larger military budget than anyone else in the world.
Give 200 billion dollars a year to NASA? No thanks.
How are we going to learn how to navigate the universe if we do not understand it?
We need to locate additional planets to inhabit, plunder and ruin ( although the days of testing thousands of nuclear bombs is probably over ).
Think of all the precious metals floating around out there, ripe for the taking,
if we can solve inter stellar issues of our own survival here and abroad.
Even if we cannot do that and send AI bots, they have to be able to navigate and find fuels.
Why not? That seems like money better spent.