The universe may be expanding more slowly than previously thought, according to a team of astronomers who have found discrepancies in key techniques used to measure the greatest distances in the cosmos.
In order to estimate accurately how quickly the universe is expanding, astronomers use objects of uniform brightness as “beacons”, which can be easily compared. By knowing how bright a given object should be, and comparing that to the brightness actually seen, it is possible to estimate how far away it is — and also how quickly it is moving away from us.
By: Michael Rundle,
