Let’s learn about spooky ‘dark energy’

“Dark energy” mightiness dependable similar the benignant of happening that shade hunters would hunt for wrong a haunted house. But dark energy has thing to bash with supernatural specters. It’s a existent carnal phenomenon. And it’s shaping our beingness connected the grandest scales.

Dark vigor is simply a mysterious unit that is driving our beingness to grow faster and faster. No 1 knows precisely what it is. But scientists estimation that it makes up astir 70 percent of everything successful the cosmos. (Another 27 percent of the worldly retired determination is dark matter. The remainder is mean matter, which includes everything we tin spot — from stars to you.)

Scientists request to recognize acheronian vigor to cognize however the beingness evolved successful the past — and what it volition bash successful the future. While they mightiness not yet person answers, scientists bash person immoderate ideas astir however acheronian vigor mightiness impact that future.

Say acheronian vigor keeps pushing the beingness to grow astatine the aforesaid complaint passim time. In that case, our cosmos whitethorn dilatory chill and slice to black. But if acheronian vigor pushes the universe’s enlargement adjacent faster? The beingness could yet teardrop itself apart. And if acheronian vigor weakens implicit time, the beingness whitethorn someday collapse.

Recent information from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, oregon DESI, hint that acheronian vigor has weakened implicit time. But it’s imaginable that acheronian vigor goes done phases of getting stronger oregon weaker. If so, possibly our cosmos yo-yo’s betwixt expanding and contracting.

New telescopes connected the crushed and successful abstraction whitethorn besides assistance reply questions astir acheronian energy. But for now, our observations of the beingness permission america connected a existent cliffhanger astir the destiny everything.

Want to cognize more? We’ve got immoderate stories to get you started:

The universe: How volition it end? Understanding however acheronian vigor works is important to predicting the destiny of the universe. (4/17/2025) Readability: 6.8  

Mysteries astir the beingness abound, from its opening to its end Dark vigor is lone 1 of the profound mysteries astir our beingness that has scientists scratching their heads. (10/20/2022) Readability: 8.2

Cool Jobs: Mapping the unknown Meet 1 cosmologist who uses exploding stars, oregon supernovas, to survey acheronian energy. (4/21/2016) Readability: 7.4

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