NEW YORK. Scientists are making significant progress in understanding dark energy, a mysterious force that constitutes nearly 70% of the universe and is responsible for its accelerated expansion. The latest research suggests that dark energy may not be a constant force as previously believed, but rather one that is gradually weakening—a discovery that could reshape our understanding of cosmology and the ultimate fate of the universe.
The findings, presented at the American Physical Society meeting on Wednesday, provide additional evidence that dark energy might be waning. While still inconclusive, this development challenges the long-standing assumption that dark energy remains uniform over time.
The conclusions come from an international collaboration using the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), a project that has been mapping the distribution of galaxies over the past 11 billion years. By tracking how galaxies have spread and clustered, scientists can better understand the forces influencing cosmic expansion.
Last year, DESI released its initial analysis based on 6 million galaxies and quasars. With new data increasing the count to nearly 15 million, researchers found additional support for the hypothesis that dark energy may be weakening. These findings align with other independent measurements, including supernova explosions, cosmic background radiation, and distortions in galaxy shapes.
“It’s moving from a really surprising finding to almost a moment where we have to throw out how we’ve thought about cosmology and start over,” said Bhuvnesh Jain, a cosmologist at the University of Pennsylvania who was not involved in the study.
Physicists require a high level of statistical certainty before confirming a discovery, and the idea that dark energy is weakening is not yet at that threshold. The DESI collaboration aims to map 50 million galaxies and quasars by 2026, which may provide the necessary confirmation. Other research initiatives, including the European Space Agency’s Euclid mission and the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, are also investigating dark energy and will release their own findings in the coming years.
“We want to see several different collaborations having similar measurements” before drawing definitive conclusions, said Kris Pardo, a cosmologist at the University of Southern California.
If dark energy remains constant, the universe will continue expanding indefinitely, becoming colder and more desolate over time. However, if dark energy diminishes, the universe could one day cease expanding and eventually collapse in a scenario known as the Big Crunch—a reversal of the Big Bang.
“Now, there is the possibility that everything comes to an end,” said Mustapha Ishak-Boushaki, a study collaborator from the University of Texas at Dallas. “Would we consider that a good or bad thing? I don’t know.”
With new data on the horizon, scientists remain eager to uncover the true nature of dark energy and, ultimately, the fate of the cosmos.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
