Universe’s expansion rate: Something doesnt...

What’s Happening

Here’s the thing: We think we understand the local universe’s expansion rate.

But measurements confirm a mismatch that could point to a need for new physics. The post Universe’s expansion rate: ‘Something doesn’t add up’ first appeared on EarthSky. (it feels like chaos)

Science news, solid photos, sky alerts.

The Details

NOIRLab published this story on . Astronomers have tried to measure the expansion rate of the universe using two fundamentally different approaches.

One method relies on measuring distances to stars and galaxies in the nearby universe. The other uses measurements of the cosmic microwave background to predict what the expansion rate would be today under the standard model of cosmology.

Why This Matters

These two approaches should yield the same result but they don’t. Measurements based on the near indicate a faster expansion rate around 73 kilometers per second (160,000 mph) per megaparsec. But predictions derived from the early universe yield a lower value, closer to 67 or 68.

Scientists and researchers are watching this development closely.

Key Takeaways

• Although the numerical difference is modest, it is far larger than can be broke down .
• This persistent disagreement, known as the Hubble tension, has now been observed across multiple independent studies and techniques.
• In a paper , in Astronomy Astrophysics, the H0 Distance Network (H0DN) Collaboration reports a value of the Hubble constant of 73.

The Bottom Line

This isn’t just a new value of the Hubble constant. It’s a community-built framework that brings decades of independent distance measurements together, transparently and accessibly.

Are you here for this or nah?