Era 4: Today's Accelerating Universe
The Universe Today
Dark matter has aided in forming the universe we see today; however, many questions regarding the cosmos remain.
- What is the status of the Universe today?
- We know the Universe is expanding...
- But what do we know about the expansion?
Surveys of supernova provide scientists with information about the history of the Universe.
Classroom Cosmology: Toilet Paper Cosmology
In 1997 advances in telescope technology allowed astronomers to conduct redshift surveys of very distant type Ia supernovae. This enabled them to look further back into the Universe's history than previously possible. Their stunning results rivaled Hubble's original discovery and turned cosmology on its head. While most theoretical models predicted that the expansion of the Universe would continue to slow, in fact today the expansion rate is faster then it was a few billion years ago. The expansion of the Universe is accelerating.
Down the Rabbit Hole: The Cosmic Calendar
Classroom Cosmology: The Cosmic Calendar
