Is the universe's expansion slowing down? Study hints at it
A team from Yonsei University has found signs that the universe's expansion might actually be slowing—not speeding up like most scientists thought.
Their findings, published this week, challenge the popular idea that dark energy is pushing everything apart faster and faster.
Research on 300 galaxies
Researchers studied 300 galaxies using Type Ia supernovae (stellar explosions used to measure cosmic distances).
After correcting for how a star's age affects these explosions' brightness, they saw evidence that the universe's growth is losing steam.
The result is very significant—about 99.99% sure that the dimming of distant Type Ia supernovae can be attributed to stellar effects, not just cosmic expansion.
What does this mean?
If dark energy really is fading, gravity could eventually pull everything back together in a "Big Crunch."
We'll get more answers soon: the Vera C. Rubin Observatory will spot thousands more supernovae in the next five years to help confirm what's really happening out there.