We all know that the universe is expanding at an ever-increasing pace, but information from
the Hubble Space Telescope that has just been released, shows that something is off
with the way we understand the expansion of the universe and something unknown could be
responsible for this discrepancy. Could this lead to brand NEW physics?
A newly wrapped up, three-decade study has revealed that something may be wrong with
the way we understand the expansion of our universe. This study has taken the
most precise cosmic measurements of the universe and used those to calculate the
exact rate of universal expansion. But when they finish their work, the answer they were
left with did not line up with what they had anticipated from the widely accepted models of
the universe. Not only was this a surprise to the team of astronomers working on this study,
it also centers shockwaves through the scientific community & media as an unexpected discovery of
this magnitude could lead to a re-evaluation and modification of major scientific theories. Even
Joe Rogan expressed his amazement at what this could mean for how we view the universe. read
an article and the what they were taking into consideration is the possibility that the Big
Bang may be incorrect and that the Universe might be larger and older than we think. The
instrument that led to this discovery was the Hubble Space Telescope, named for one of the
most famous and instrumental astronomers of the past century, Edwin Hubble.
Before the early 20th century, the existence of other galaxies had been theorized for some
time, but no one had been able to prove that they existed beyond our own Milky Way.. but
that all changed when an American astronomer named Edwin Hubble began his work at the Mount
Wilson Observatory located in California. Here he revolutionized the field of astronomy by
discovering what was really happening in what was then known as the Andromeda Nebula.
He was able to discover that this elongated cloud in space was actually a Galaxy which we know
today as the Andromeda Galaxy, our closest galactic neighbor and eventually collision
partner 5 billion years in the future. This was not however the final contribution that Hubble made
to astronomy. He was able to prove something that truly shocked the scientific world...
The universe was expanding in all directions and this expansion wasn't slowing down it was speeding up.
The models that physicists have developed to describe our universe do tell us a lot about
the expansion timeline of our universe. After the Big Bang, the expansion of the universe
was fast, but for some reason perhaps all the matter being so close together at that time
gravity was causing it to slow down. The force of gravity ruled the cosmos for those first
few billion years, slowing the rapid expansion of the universe & causing matter to coalesce together
and form stars, planets, and massive galaxies. But this all changed around 5 billion years ago, at
this time, the universe completely shifted gears and the universe's expansion began to accelerate
forwards, getting faster and faster. According to physics, this acceleration is driven by dark
energy, a mysterious energy or force within the cosmos, that seems to drive everything apart and
in some models, will eventually lead to the universe ripping itself apart atom by atom.
In the year 1990, NASA launched a mission that would completely alter the way we look
and think about our universe: The Hubble Space Telescope named for the father of galaxies.
When Hubble first launched, the age of the universe was anywhere between 8 and 20 billion years old,
and the number of galaxies that were estimated in the universe was orders of magnitude too low but
one of the greatest missions that Hubble undertook was 30 years of meticulous measurements taken from
every angle into the universe and has been able to calculate the expansion rate to a precision just
above one percent this telescope has calibrated more than 40 milepost markers used by scientists
to calculate the precise rate of cosmic expansion, which is known as the Hubble Constant.
One cosmologist, Dr Lycia Verde, has attested to the importance of this constant stating: "The Hubble
constant is a very special number. It can be used to thread a needle from the past to the present
for an end-to-end test of our understanding of the universe." Over Hubble's career in orbit the
team measured 42 supernovae as milepost markers, to measure the expansion. Supernovae are used due
to their extremely bright nature that can be seen across galaxies, and other unique features that
lend themselves to precise measurements. the team's goal was to get as many supernovae as possible
logged with the Hubble to get the maximum amount of data points to lower the chances of a mistake
affecting their measurements. But even with all this work and precise measurements, astronomers
noticed that something was wrong after they had finished compiling and analyzing their data.
There was a discrepancy.. the models that scientists currently use to explain our universe
predict that the Universe should be expanding at a rate of 67.5 kilometers per second PER megaparsec
However, the data that Hubble returned to the team showed something different.
And remember that this is THE MOST precise measurements ever taken of the expansion rate of
our universe. Using all of the information gathered from Hubble's life, the team measured the rate of
expansion to be 73 kilometers per second per megaparsec. This is NOT a small discrepancy when
it comes to astrological data. When the researchers saw this there were two possibilities: One the
Hubble Space Telescope, one of the most advanced and meticulously built pieces of machinery made
a mistake. But at this point, this has nearly been ruled out as the probability of making a
mistake of this magnitude given the sample size that was used, is in the range of 1 in a Million.
So while there is a chance, it's not very big, leaving option number two as the most viable
option, there is some new type of physics within our universe that is not currently in our models.
And as astronomers have been at a loss to find the explanation for the disconnect between the
expansion rate of the local universe and the primeval one, the two may be connected within
a type of physics that hasn't been seen yet. Now the team is tasked with "untangling what
was becoming a nice and tidy picture of the universe's dynamical evolution." And as
many scientists have expressed does anyone REALLY care what the exact value is for the
rate of expansion value? Isn't it better just to enjoy learning more about the universe?
The conclusion of this mission to measure the expansion rate of the universe may very well be Hubble's last great
accomplishment. It has spent the last nearly 33 years in orbit around Earth, giving humanity its
first glimpse at what lies beyond the confines of our tiny solar system. Over its operation, the
Hubble Space Telescope has completely changed the way physicists look at the universe and advanced
our understanding of the cosmos by leaps and bounds never before seen. But as it reaches the end
of its life, another great scientific instrument is taking its place. The James Webb Space Telescope
It is the next generation in humanity's tools to learn more about the universe we all live in.
is not only more powerful than its predecessor, it is also equipped with a wide arrangement of
Highly specialized instruments which will allow researchers to see more and probe further than
ever before. When it comes time for the JWST to turn its focus to cosmic expansion, we may get
to discover the pieces missing from the universal puzzle. Thanks for watching! Leave us a comment down
below and let us know what you think about the possibility of a piece of physics being discovered
that may help us complete our understanding of the universe. And as always, see you next time on Matter!