Scientists May Be One Step Closer to Figuring Out How Fast the Universe is Expanding

Scientists have long been aware of the universe's expansion. However, there is much debate among scientists on just how fast the universe is expanding.

The universe is big, and it continues to get bigger every day.

The hotly debated topic of how quickly space itself is expanding is vital to understanding the actual scale, size, and age of our universe and the speed at which the universe is growing is called the Hubble Constant.

The Hubble Constant, named after pioneering astronomer and University of Chicago alum Edwin Hubble, underpins everything in the universe—from when the Big Bang happened to how much dark matter exists. It helps scientists sketch out a theory of the history and structure of the universe.

Edwin Hubble was the first to observe that objects astronomers once thought were spiral nebulae were actually entire galaxies outside our Milky Way, and that space was much, much bigger than we thought.

Because many of these other galaxies had wavelengths that had been so stretched out, the light they emitted was tinted red, and astronomers realized they were heading away from us.

Establishing that the universe was expanding was the easy part, but pinning down the rate it’s doing so was a bit tougher.

Learn more about the Hubble Constant, the Universe’s growth, and the different approaches to solving this 90-year-old problem on this episode of Elements.

#Universe #Hubble #Galaxy #Space #Science #Seeker #Elements

Read More:
How fast is the Universe expanding? Cosmologists just got more confused
"For much of this decade, the two most precise gauges of the Universe’s rate of expansion have been in glaring disagreement. Now, a highly anticipated independent technique that cosmologists hoped would solve the conundrum is instead adding to the confusion."

New Hubble Constant Measurement Adds to Mystery of Universe’s Expansion Rate
"Now, University of Chicago professor Wendy Freedman and colleagues have a new measurement for the rate of expansion in the modern universe, suggesting the space between galaxies is stretching faster than scientists would expect. Freedman's is one of several recent studies that point to a nagging discrepancy between modern expansion measurements and predictions based on the universe as it was more than 13 billion years ago, as measured by the European Space Agency's Planck satellite."

The Hubble Constant
"The Hubble Constant can be stated as a simple mathematical expression, Ho = v/d, where v is the galaxy's radial outward velocity (in other words, motion along our line-of-sight), d is the galaxy's distance from earth, and Ho is the current value of the Hubble Constant."

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[alexixeno]

I think there is also an issue with how the Hubble Constant may not be actually constant isn't there?

[PremierCCGuyMMXVI]

What’s really interesting is that as the universe expands, we can lose the ability of seeing very distinct galaxies and future humans won’t even know there where other galaxies!

[matts]

Isnt it entirely possible that they are all correct relative to the objects they were studying? Could space be expanding at an uneven rate across this universe?

[trippinballs]

What if the Universe is not expanding, instead it's just rotating in 5th dimension?

[treffiantony]

I even can’t measure the rate my girlfriend keep expanding from me..

[markchip]

I'm trying to imagine just what went through Hubble's mind when he first made that observation that the "spiral nebulae" were actually entire galaxies... KaBOOM!! Mind blown!!! Universe is BILLIONS of times bigger!

[LVMorpheus]

The expansion rate between the different methods is close. What if there is no true constant or rather the constant varies by distance? The farther away, the faster the object accelerates away from us.. or we are accelerating from it. Could the discrepancy be on account of the average distance, from us, of the objects being used as markers?

[FunnyGuyTimmy]

But how do we know how bright Cepheids are? There aren’t any near us (“near” being relative). Wouldn’t we be faced with the same problem as other types of stars?

[spadaacca]

Maybe the acceleration has been accelerating since the CMB readings? (As red shifting takes into account a shorter timespan)

[igotnodrip]

I wonder what's outside the universe, maybe when it's like a really big dangerous wall that's difficult to get through but when you do what if theres like a and even bigger room holding different universe like the multiverse, and maybe these a way to teleport there using CFL quark matter

[richarddeese]

Thanks! And before we all get our shorts in a wad about this disagreement, let's remember one thing: science is about finding out stuff we didn't know before. The fact that these studies got different answers is, in itself, an answer (of sorts.) It tells us that there are things we haven't fully accounted for yet. When we find them, and when the answers converge, then we'll know a whole lot more than just the Hubble-Lemaitre Constant. And, we'll probably raise other questions, which will open up even more areas of study. That's how the science biz works, kids. Thanks again. Rikki Tikki.

[juliocesar]

Cepheids are not used to measure Hubble's Constant. In fact, we use type 1a Supernovae. Those are explosions that release the same amount of energy due to chandrasekhar's limit, so they can be used as standard candles. In 2017 there was a detection of a neutron star neutron star collision and that created a standard siren and Hubble's constant was measured to be different from the other two methods as well (what is kind of disappointing). But in other for this neutron star neutron star collision to become a significant player, we must get much more of those to build up the statistics.

[TheWilnil]

Is space expanding from a messureble point or is the expanding relative from point of view? Will the Observer of the obeject se the same expansion if object and Observer Switch place?

[misteragb]

So imagine that you could pause the passing of time for the whole universe and everything in it except for yourself, like in a kids show, and traveled to the outer edge of the universe. Would you slam your hands against a infinitely hard wall because there is no space? So what is the position of space and our universe itself? It is hard for me to imagine space beeing infinite but it is even harder for me to imagine space beeing finite.

[olitomas]

How can they use red giants as standard candles based on their luminosity ? It was my understanding that you couldn't rely on the luminosity because of red shift 🤔🤷🏻‍♂️

[magnvss]

IIRC, another issue that is complex and hard to explain is that the expansion of the universe is not exactly the same as "the growing of the universe" as it occurs on a kind of space (on a dimention, let's say) that is understood as different that the one inside (that would explain that, when measured, some velocities of the most far away "distancing" objects or galaxies greatly exceed that of light, that would violate the laws of physics inside the system-universe). But again, that per se would need another complex explanation.

[iamaworrier]

Please tell what's the asteroid ?? If come to earth what happen???

[XxCrunchyPillowxX]

What if you go one direction into the universe and at a certain point the laws that govern the universe begin to change? Like magic or something else? Could be very insignificant change or a drastic one.

[Master_Therion]

The world's smartest astronomers, with billions worth of telescopes can't accurately measure the speed of the universe's expansion. Yet I'm supposed to believe a simple Highway Patrol officer with a $20 radar gun when he tells me I was going 56 mph in a 55 zone.

[jayanand]

Please make video on how close are we to build iron-man arc reactor