Results from the largest and most ambitious survey of the cosmos ever undertaken by the Hubble Space Telescope are in, and the findings are commensurately big, suggesting dark energy is indeed real, and the general theory of relativity holds up even under larger intergalactic scrutiny.
The survey covered more than 446,000 galaxies in the COSMOS field, captured by 575 slightly overlapping images of the same corner of the universe taken by Hubble over nearly 1,000 hours. The researchers also tapped into redshift data from ground-based observation instruments to measure the distances of the galaxies surveyed.
The data, when pulled together an analyzed, allowed researchers to paint a detailed picture of matter distribution in space over great distances by looking at the distorted shapes of distant galaxies, a phenomenon known as weak gravitational lensing. The resulting data gave researchers unprecedented views of the shapes of distant galaxies that in turn lend further clues to how the universe is expanding.So how is it expanding? The study suggests that indeed the universe's expansion is accelerated by a mysterious component known as dark energy, adding credence to a handful of other independent studies that suggest the same. Explained by Harvard University's William High, co-author of the study:
"Before, most of the studies were done in 2D, like taking a chest X-ray. Our study is more like a 3D reconstruction of the skeleton from a CT scan. On top of that, we are able to watch the skeleton of dark matter mature from the Universe's youth to the present."
The weak lensing method of measuring the galaxies also further proved out Einstein's general relativity theory, as the theory predicts accurately how the lensing signal depends on redshift to get accurate readings of distant bodies.
As a bonus, the cosmic CT scan makes for a pretty picture. If the one above tickles your fancy, there are a few more (as well as high-res options) here.
[NASA/ESA]
Five amazing, clean technologies that will set us free, in this month's energy-focused issue. Also: how to build a better bomb detector, the robotic toys that are raising your children, a human catapult, the world's smallest arcade, and much more.


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Other discussions of this topic have made the point that this could simply be gravity forces from things that we can't see. They went on to say that 'the universe' is defined as the volume of space from which we are able to detect light. This is not to say that there is nothing outside of that volume.
So, this could turn out ro be business as usual -- only we can't see the bodies causing this force.
Universe is expanding i.e it is occupying new space.What is the new space called and do the black matter and black energy already exist in the space to be occupied by universe?
You can't call it "expansion" if objects goes in opposite displacement. As you can see, the space doesn't expand following the trajectory.
Why any relativist can't give a logic explanation about what happens with Cherenkov radiation?
I totally agree with ford2go.
You (physicists) can continue spending billions smashing protons on this global recession. Maybe, someday you will get the feeling of success (of a moron).
"Universe is expanding i.e it is occupying new space.What is the new space called and do the black matter and black energy already exist in the space to be occupied by universe?"
A theorist wouldn't agree that the universe is expanding into space but rather expanding into or out of nothing(ness)and actually creating space as it expands. Nothingness is simply nothing: no space, no time, no energy, no matter, no light, no dark, or as a child might say, "no nothing." No one knows what dark matter or dark energy quite is yet but in light of the Big Bang concept, it would have been created in the initial explosion/expansion along with everything else in the universe.
ford2go aren't you kind of contradicting your statement? You're saying that "this could simply be gravity forces from things that we can't see" and "So, this could turn out ro be business as usual -- only we can't see the bodies causing this force." Isn't that the definition of dark matter and dark energy? Forces and mass that are created/caused by things we can't see.
I believe that they've observed its not just gravity because the forces created by dark energy and dark matter are much stronger than gravity. Gravity is a relatively weak force; just think how massive Earth is and only produces 9.8m/s2 acceleration. We've created much stronger forces.
Why does everyone always say that these discoveries can prove the theory of relativity and dark matter, what a bunch of baloney. If the universe is expanding, then it could be that there in no pull of gravity to hold it back, meaning all the mass is going to some other attraction, some other pulling effect. If gravity is so weak then why is it that the moon is still hanging around and why can it raise the water level on high tide?
There is a imperious need to establish a common consensus (like the so called man-made global warming) to pass the bill in a "fair" manner (doesn't matter if we use dogmatism in the process).
Newton laws works practically at planetary level, but what forces maintain groups of stars and galaxies together?
so our univverse is kinda like ink spreading out on a piece of paper
the Universe is breathing in and out just like us expanding and contracting it is a body like us we are small representations of a much larger body with no begining and no end.
Because with all the mass it has, the moon can't even pull us off the ground of the earth, or hold in an atmosphere. Compare that to a magnet on your fridge, that tiny little thing can pull a bunch of paper clips and win against -all the matter on earth- That's how strong electromagnetic forces are compared to gravity. Why is gravity so weak? Nobody knows, but some people think it's busy pulling on something we can't see. A "Dark" "Matter" of some sort.