Astronomers have used, for the first time, supermassive black holes to measure the Universe’s expansion rate. The black holes were from just after the Big Bang happened. Even though this effort provided some answers, there is still a bigger mystery in our hands.
The conclusion is that the speed at which the Universe is growing is way faster than our expectations. This could either be because of the cosmological constant described by Albert Einstein or the dark energy thought to drive the acceleration of this expansion. Apparently, it is not as cosmologically constant as considered.
Instead, its strength might get better.
The rate at which the Universe expands is called the Hubble Constant, and it is not easy at all to pin it down. A different result comes at the end of every test, and the cosmic microwave background was measured recently using data from the Planck satellite, and it is set at 67.4 kilometers (41.9 miles) per second per megaparsec. The uncertainty is less than 1 percent.
The usage of standard candles is also involved in other methods. These objects’ luminosity is known, the Type Ia supernovae or the cepheid variable stars for example, from that distance, being possible to calculate their absolute magnitude.
A cepheid variable star calculation of the Hubble Constant from last year returned a result of 73.5 kilometers (45.6 miles) per second per megaparsec. This is why astronomers can’t stop poking this dubious cosmic bear.
However, the calculation of the distance to another object was realized by astronomers a few years ago that it can be accurate as well. Along with their black holes enter quasars.
There is a list of the brightest objects in the Universe, and the quasars are one it. A supermassive black hole is actively feeding on material, and it is also orbited by these galaxies.
Karen and her husband live on a plot of land in British Columbia. They aim to grow and raise a significant part of their food by maintaining a vegetable garden, keeping a flock of backyard chickens and foraging. They are also currently planning a move to a small cabin they hand built. Karen’s academic background in nutrition made her care deeply about real food and seek ways to obtain it. Thus sprung Anna’s interest in backyard gardening, chicken and goat keeping, recycling and self-sufficiency.
