[Feature] A cosmic controversy
Thursday, March 9, 2017 - 14:31
in Astronomy & Space
Debate over the Hubble constant, the expansion rate of the universe, has exploded again. Astronomers had mostly settled on a number using a classical technique—the "distance ladder," or astronomical observations from the local universe on out. But these values conflict with cosmological estimates made from maps of the early universe and adjusted to the present day. The dispute suggests a missing ingredient may be fueling the growth of the universe. Authors: Jia You, Chris Bickel, Joshua Sokol