Particle.news
Download on the App Store
11 ARTICLES
·
last mo.

New Data Suggests Dark Energy May Be Weakening Over Time

Findings from DESI challenge the standard cosmological model and hint at a possible future 'Big Crunch.'

Image
Image
View of M74, otherwise known as the Phantom Galaxy, taken by the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, in this handout image released August 29, 2022. NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
A movie in which the viewer flies through the cosmos, past countless galaxies.

Overview

  • The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) has analyzed nearly 15 million galaxies, finding evidence that dark energy may be weakening rather than remaining constant.
  • Dark energy, which constitutes about 68% of the universe, is the force driving its accelerated expansion, but its potential weakening could alter our understanding of the universe's future.
  • If dark energy continues to decline, the universe could eventually stop expanding and collapse in a 'Big Crunch,' reversing current cosmological assumptions.
  • These findings challenge the standard model of cosmology, potentially requiring a fundamental revision of how the universe operates.
  • Further confirmation is needed, as DESI aims to map 50 million galaxies by 2026, with complementary data expected from global projects like the Euclid mission and Vera C. Rubin Observatory.