{"id":478,"date":"2018-09-26T09:29:52","date_gmt":"2018-09-26T09:29:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/horizon.peachpuff-wolverine-566518.hostingersite.com\/?p=478"},"modified":"2018-09-26T09:29:52","modified_gmt":"2018-09-26T09:29:52","slug":"refining-intergalactic-measurements-could-alter-our-whole-understanding-of-physics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/478\/refining-intergalactic-measurements-could-alter-our-whole-understanding-of-physics\/","title":{"rendered":"Refining intergalactic measurements could alter our whole understanding of physics"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

by Ethan Bilby<\/p>\n

New efforts to figure out just how fast the universe has expanded since the Big Bang, a speed known as the Hubble constant, could upend current theories of physics, according to some scientists.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n

Professor Grzegorz Pietrzy\u0144ski at the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw is one scientist trying to derive the Hubble constant by improving the calculation of almost impossibly far distances.<\/p>\n

The idea is that by measuring how far away objects are at different points in time, scientists can work out how fast they are moving away from us, and therefore the expansion rate of the universe. Trying to accurately measure such large distances, however, is no easy task.<\/p>\n

Prof. Pietrzy\u0144ski\u2019s measurements fall into the range of kiloparsecs, equivalent to roughly 3,262 light years or 30 quadrillion kilometres. And that\u2019s just the first step.<\/p>\n

\u2018My goal is to measure geometrical distances to nearby galaxies in order to calibrate Cepheids,\u2019 said Prof. Pietrzy\u0144ski, referring to his project\u00a0CepBin<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Cepheids are a type of variable star that pulses in brightness, or luminosity, over a consistent period of time. Scientists use them to estimate distances from the Earth in the range of 100 megaparsecs (a billion trillion kilometres).<\/p>\n

That\u2019s still just a fraction of the observable universe, which could be around 28,000 megaparsecs in diameter according to the book\u00a0Extra Dimensions in Space and Time<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u2018Through Cepheids we can calibrate (the distance to) supernovae (stars\u2019 explosion). Through supernovae we can reach very distant places in the universe and based on the supernovae we can calculate the Hubble constant,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

Small errors<\/strong><\/p>\n

The problem is that with so many links, small errors can make a large difference in the end calculation. Different spacecraft and techniques have measured different Hubble constant values.<\/p>\n

\u2018Using the classical method (with Cepheids and supernovae) we have a significantly higher Hubble constant compared to the measurement from the Planck mission,\u2019 said Prof. Pietrzy\u0144ski, referring to the space observatory\u00a0which ran from 2009 to 2013 and measured the speed from\u00a0cosmic background radiation.<\/p>\n

This matters because it could mean current theories of physics are wrong.<\/p>\n

\u2018If this is true, it means we will have to change all of physics,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\u2018Through supernovae we can reach very distant places in the universe and based on the supernovae we can calculate the Hubble constant.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

Professor Grzegorz Pietrzy\u0144ski, Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

To reduce the uncertainty, Prof. Pietrzy\u0144ski is working to refine the distance measurement to the nearby galaxy known as the Large Magellanic Cloud by looking at binary stars that eclipse one another. The results are promising. With the help of a wave measurement known as interferometry, researchers can calibrate the stars\u2019 angular diameter, which reveal distance when coupled with linear diameters.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, more accurate measurements would establish the correct value of the Hubble constant \u2013 or reveal if it has fluctuated over time.<\/p>\n

\u2018We can check how the expansion of the universe evolved. We know that at least two times the expansion accelerated,\u2019 Prof. Pietrzy\u0144ski said. He was referring to the Big Bang as well as the Nobel-Prize-winning finding that the universe is currently in a phase of accelerated expansion, which is theorised to be caused by a mysterious force called dark energy.<\/p>\n

Supernovae<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cepheids alone are not enough to discern the vast distances needed to act as a yardstick for the universe. For that, cosmologists use a class of exploding star called Type Ia supernovae.<\/p>\n

Since there are no supernovae in our galaxy, researchers use relatively nearby Cepheids as the first leg in estimating the distance to the small number of observed supernovae.<\/p>\n

\u2018Cepheids are something like 10,000 times fainter than the supernovae, so the bridge of distance you have from Cepheids and supernovae is very small,\u2019 said Dr Mickael Rigault of the French National Centre for Scientific Research.<\/p>\n

Dr Rigault is working on improving the accuracy of supernovae measurements.<\/p>\n

\u2018The problem is that the Type Ia supernovae are not always exactly the same. They might be intrinsically different, and we don\u2019t\u00a0quite know the mechanism of how they explode,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

One issue, for instance, is that their light could cross space and be absorbed in different ways.<\/p>\n

\u2018We need to make sure to find a way to make sure the luminosity of the supernovae we are using is always the same,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

To address this, he and his team of\u00a0USNAC<\/a>\u00a0project researchers have used the NASA\/ESA Hubble Space Telescope to examine supernovae host galaxies with ultraviolet images. By doing this, they can measure the amount of dust left in the supernova’s line of sight and gauge how such dust may alter its appeared brightness.<\/p>\n

More accurate measurements of supernovae, on top of more accurate Cepheid measurements, could also reveal more about the history of the universe, including the role of dark energy.<\/p>\n

This is because light coming from faraway supernovae takes so long to travel to Earth that by the time it gets here we are actually witnessing events that took place billions of years ago.<\/p>\n

\u2018The supernovae, because they are so bright\u2026can go much deeper (and reach much further back in distance and time) \u2026 about half of the age of the universe,\u2019 Dr Rigault said.<\/p>\n

However, even when the dust is accounted for, some uncertainties remain. For example, Dr Rigault says, it\u2019s difficult to know if the properties of the star which explodes into a supernova affect how bright it appears. The composition could also change over time. \u2018If this is not taken into account then it biases how we measure dark energy,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

Calculations of dark energy can affect estimates of the cosmological constant, a number proposed by Einstein to measure the amount of energy present in space itself.<\/p>\n

\u2018We know it\u2019s not dramatically wrong, but we reached the moment where small details matter. A lot of effort for one tiny number, but this number changes the entire way we see the universe,\u2019 Dr Rigault said.<\/p>\n

Quasar lenses<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another way to challenge Cepheid and supernova distance calculations is to check them against alternative methods. That is what Professor Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Courbin\u00a0of the \u00c9cole Polytechnique F\u00e9d\u00e9rale de Lausanne in Switzerland and Dr Dominique Sluse at the University of Li\u00e8ge, Belgium, are doing with their project\u00a0COSMICLENS<\/a>.<\/p>\n

They are using light from quasars which has been gravitationally distorted by the galaxies lying between the quasars and Earth. Quasars are extremely distant and active galaxies that are thousands of times brighter than our Milky Way.<\/p>\n

The beams of light take different paths around the objects, resulting in them arriving on Earth at different times.<\/p>\n

\u2018The time difference, or time delay, is directly linked to the Hubble constant,\u2019 Prof. Courbin said.<\/p>\n

His team regularly uses telescopes such as the European Extremely Large Telescope in Chile or the Hubble Space Telescope to observe the quasars over months. They turn the measured time delays into cosmological parameters.<\/p>\n

\u2018Our method shows a value which agrees with the supernova estimates,\u2019 said Prof. Courbin, adding that, like Prof. Pietrzy\u0144ski\u2019s findings, it disagrees with the value found by the Planck satellite. \u2018The goal is to put the whole thing on a firm ground.\u2019<\/p>\n

This discrepancy, he said, ‘means that we do not fully understand the cosmological puzzle or that astrophysicists still have unknown sources of errors in the measurements of the Hubble constant.\u2019<\/p>\n

Originally published on Horizon<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Ethan Bilby New efforts to figure out just how fast the universe has expanded since the Big Bang, a speed known as the Hubble constant, could upend current theories of physics, according to some scientists. Professor Grzegorz Pietrzy\u0144ski at the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw is one … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":298,"featured_media":479,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"generate_page_header":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[204,38,79,24,35],"class_list":["post-478","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-space","tag-hubble","tag-physics","tag-research","tag-science","tag-space"],"yoast_head":"\nRefining intergalactic measurements could alter our whole understanding of physics - Horizon Magazine Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/478\/refining-intergalactic-measurements-could-alter-our-whole-understanding-of-physics\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Refining intergalactic measurements could alter our whole understanding of physics\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"by Ethan Bilby New efforts to figure out just how fast the universe has expanded since the Big Bang, a speed known as the Hubble constant, could upend current theories of physics, according to some scientists. Professor Grzegorz Pietrzy\u0144ski at the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw is one ... Read more\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/478\/refining-intergalactic-measurements-could-alter-our-whole-understanding-of-physics\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Horizon Magazine Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/horizon.magazine.eu\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-09-26T09:29:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/09\/RSPup_HubbleBond_crop.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1128\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Horizon Magazine\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/HorizonMagEU\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Horizon Magazine\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/478\\\/refining-intergalactic-measurements-could-alter-our-whole-understanding-of-physics\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/478\\\/refining-intergalactic-measurements-could-alter-our-whole-understanding-of-physics\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Horizon Magazine\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/8f23522ba58f477f04dd574e1034f679\"},\"headline\":\"Refining intergalactic measurements could alter our whole understanding of physics\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-09-26T09:29:52+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/478\\\/refining-intergalactic-measurements-could-alter-our-whole-understanding-of-physics\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1257,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/478\\\/refining-intergalactic-measurements-could-alter-our-whole-understanding-of-physics\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2018\\\/09\\\/RSPup_HubbleBond_crop.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"hubble\",\"physics\",\"research\",\"science\",\"space\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Space\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"copyrightYear\":\"2018\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/478\\\/refining-intergalactic-measurements-could-alter-our-whole-understanding-of-physics\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/478\\\/refining-intergalactic-measurements-could-alter-our-whole-understanding-of-physics\\\/\",\"name\":\"Refining intergalactic measurements could alter our whole understanding of physics - Horizon Magazine Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/478\\\/refining-intergalactic-measurements-could-alter-our-whole-understanding-of-physics\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/478\\\/refining-intergalactic-measurements-could-alter-our-whole-understanding-of-physics\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2018\\\/09\\\/RSPup_HubbleBond_crop.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-09-26T09:29:52+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/478\\\/refining-intergalactic-measurements-could-alter-our-whole-understanding-of-physics\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/478\\\/refining-intergalactic-measurements-could-alter-our-whole-understanding-of-physics\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/478\\\/refining-intergalactic-measurements-could-alter-our-whole-understanding-of-physics\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2018\\\/09\\\/RSPup_HubbleBond_crop.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2018\\\/09\\\/RSPup_HubbleBond_crop.jpg\",\"width\":1800,\"height\":1128,\"caption\":\"At the centre of the image is an important star called the RS Puppis, a Cepheid variable star which is a class of stars whose luminosity is used to estimate distances to nearby galaxies. This one is 15,000 times brighter than our sun. Image credit - NASA, ESA, Hubble Heritage Team. Acknowledgement - Howard Bond\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/478\\\/refining-intergalactic-measurements-could-alter-our-whole-understanding-of-physics\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Refining intergalactic measurements could alter our whole understanding of physics\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/\",\"name\":\"Horizon Magazine Blog\",\"description\":\"The EU Research & Innovation Magazine\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Horizon Magazine Blog\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/eu-logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/eu-logo.jpg\",\"width\":601,\"height\":283,\"caption\":\"Horizon Magazine Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/8f23522ba58f477f04dd574e1034f679\",\"name\":\"Horizon Magazine\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Horizon Magazine\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/horizon.magazine.eu\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/https:\\\/\\\/twitter.com\\\/HorizonMagEU\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/author\\\/horizonmagazine\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Refining intergalactic measurements could alter our whole understanding of physics - Horizon Magazine Blog","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/478\/refining-intergalactic-measurements-could-alter-our-whole-understanding-of-physics\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Refining intergalactic measurements could alter our whole understanding of physics","og_description":"by Ethan Bilby New efforts to figure out just how fast the universe has expanded since the Big Bang, a speed known as the Hubble constant, could upend current theories of physics, according to some scientists. Professor Grzegorz Pietrzy\u0144ski at the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw is one ... Read more","og_url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/478\/refining-intergalactic-measurements-could-alter-our-whole-understanding-of-physics\/","og_site_name":"Horizon Magazine Blog","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/horizon.magazine.eu","article_published_time":"2018-09-26T09:29:52+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1800,"height":1128,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/09\/RSPup_HubbleBond_crop.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Horizon Magazine","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/HorizonMagEU","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Horizon Magazine","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/478\/refining-intergalactic-measurements-could-alter-our-whole-understanding-of-physics\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/478\/refining-intergalactic-measurements-could-alter-our-whole-understanding-of-physics\/"},"author":{"name":"Horizon Magazine","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/person\/8f23522ba58f477f04dd574e1034f679"},"headline":"Refining intergalactic measurements could alter our whole understanding of physics","datePublished":"2018-09-26T09:29:52+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/478\/refining-intergalactic-measurements-could-alter-our-whole-understanding-of-physics\/"},"wordCount":1257,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/478\/refining-intergalactic-measurements-could-alter-our-whole-understanding-of-physics\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/09\/RSPup_HubbleBond_crop.jpg","keywords":["hubble","physics","research","science","space"],"articleSection":["Space"],"inLanguage":"en-US","copyrightYear":"2018","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/478\/refining-intergalactic-measurements-could-alter-our-whole-understanding-of-physics\/","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/478\/refining-intergalactic-measurements-could-alter-our-whole-understanding-of-physics\/","name":"Refining intergalactic measurements could alter our whole understanding of physics - Horizon Magazine Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/478\/refining-intergalactic-measurements-could-alter-our-whole-understanding-of-physics\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/478\/refining-intergalactic-measurements-could-alter-our-whole-understanding-of-physics\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/09\/RSPup_HubbleBond_crop.jpg","datePublished":"2018-09-26T09:29:52+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/478\/refining-intergalactic-measurements-could-alter-our-whole-understanding-of-physics\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/478\/refining-intergalactic-measurements-could-alter-our-whole-understanding-of-physics\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/478\/refining-intergalactic-measurements-could-alter-our-whole-understanding-of-physics\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/09\/RSPup_HubbleBond_crop.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/09\/RSPup_HubbleBond_crop.jpg","width":1800,"height":1128,"caption":"At the centre of the image is an important star called the RS Puppis, a Cepheid variable star which is a class of stars whose luminosity is used to estimate distances to nearby galaxies. This one is 15,000 times brighter than our sun. Image credit - NASA, ESA, Hubble Heritage Team. Acknowledgement - Howard Bond"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/478\/refining-intergalactic-measurements-could-alter-our-whole-understanding-of-physics\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Refining intergalactic measurements could alter our whole understanding of physics"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#website","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/","name":"Horizon Magazine Blog","description":"The EU Research & Innovation Magazine","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#organization","name":"Horizon Magazine Blog","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/eu-logo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/eu-logo.jpg","width":601,"height":283,"caption":"Horizon Magazine Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/person\/8f23522ba58f477f04dd574e1034f679","name":"Horizon Magazine","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Horizon Magazine"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/horizon.magazine.eu","https:\/\/x.com\/https:\/\/twitter.com\/HorizonMagEU"],"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/author\/horizonmagazine\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/09\/RSPup_HubbleBond_crop.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pgtNKV-7I","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":450,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/450\/dark-matter-clusters-could-reveal-nature-of-dark-energy\/","url_meta":{"origin":478,"position":0},"title":"Dark matter clusters could reveal nature of dark energy","author":"Jon Cartwright","date":"September 10, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Scientists are hoping to understand one of the most enduring mysteries in cosmology by simulating its effect on the clustering of galaxies. That mystery is dark energy \u2013\u00a0the phenomenon that scientists hypothesise is causing the universe to expand at an ever-faster rate. No-one knows anything about dark energy, except that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Space"","block_context":{"text":"Space","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/space\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/09\/abell370-lensing-crop.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/09\/abell370-lensing-crop.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/09\/abell370-lensing-crop.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/09\/abell370-lensing-crop.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/09\/abell370-lensing-crop.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2592,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/2592\/top-space-telescope-from-europe-seeks-to-solve-riddles-of-the-universe\/","url_meta":{"origin":478,"position":1},"title":"Top space telescope from Europe seeks to solve riddles of the universe","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"December 4, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"EU researchers expect unprecedented insights into galaxies from the study of a mysterious energy force. By \u00a0Jonathan O\u2019Callaghan A powerful new European space telescope will bring astronomers closer than ever to answering a longstanding question: will the universe, which is expanding, do so forever? Called Euclid, the telescope was launched\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Space"","block_context":{"text":"Space","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/space\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/12\/4.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/12\/4.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/12\/4.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/12\/4.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/12\/4.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/12\/4.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":467,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/467\/space-telescope-to-test-einsteins-theories-about-gravity\/","url_meta":{"origin":478,"position":2},"title":"Space telescope to test Einstein\u2019s theories about gravity","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"September 19, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"A new space telescope designed to peer into some of the farthest regions of the universe could finally answer one of the most puzzling questions surrounding Albert Einstein\u2019s general theory of relativity. The Euclid mission, which is due to be launched by the European Space Agency in 2021, will capture\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Space"","block_context":{"text":"Space","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/space\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/09\/euclid_stm_nisp-crop.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/09\/euclid_stm_nisp-crop.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/09\/euclid_stm_nisp-crop.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/09\/euclid_stm_nisp-crop.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/09\/euclid_stm_nisp-crop.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/09\/euclid_stm_nisp-crop.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":436,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/436\/dark-energy-is-the-biggest-mystery-in-cosmology-but-it-may-not-exist-at-all-leading-physicist\/","url_meta":{"origin":478,"position":3},"title":"Dark energy is the biggest mystery in cosmology, but it may not exist at all – leading physicist","author":"Jon Cartwright","date":"September 3, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"The most mysterious phenomenon in cosmology \u2013 dark energy \u2013 may not exist at all, according to Professor Subir Sarkar, head of the particle theory group at the University of Oxford in the UK. In the late 1990s, astronomers found evidence from supernovae that the universe has been expanding faster\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Space"","block_context":{"text":"Space","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/space\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Leftover light from Type Ia supernovae has been used to calculate the expansion rate of the universe and infer the existence of dark energy.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/09\/supernovae-g299-crop.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/09\/supernovae-g299-crop.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/09\/supernovae-g299-crop.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/09\/supernovae-g299-crop.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/09\/supernovae-g299-crop.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/09\/supernovae-g299-crop.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3290,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/3290\/europes-deep-sea-telescope-on-a-hunt-for-the-origins-of-the-universe\/","url_meta":{"origin":478,"position":4},"title":"Europe\u2019s deep-sea telescope on a hunt for the origins of the universe","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"October 24, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Deep under the Mediterranean, scientists have recorded the highest-energy neutrino ever detected. Now they are working out what this elusive particle could reveal about the universe we live in. By Jonathan O\u2019Callaghan Below the waves of the Mediterranean, Europe\u2019s KM3NeT neutrino telescope is on a cosmic hunt. Towering strings of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Frontier Research"","block_context":{"text":"Frontier Research","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/frontier-research\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Incredibly small yet powerful particles called neutrinos could reveal how the universe works \u2013 and even why matter exists at all. \u00a9 remotevfx.com, Shutterstock.com","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/10\/23.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/10\/23.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/10\/23.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/10\/23.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3419,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/3419\/scientists-hunt-dark-matter-stars-that-mimic-black-holes\/","url_meta":{"origin":478,"position":5},"title":"Scientists hunt dark matter \u2018stars\u2019 that mimic black holes","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"February 13, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Hypothetical dark matter stars known as \u2018boson stars\u2019 could leave telltale ripples across the cosmos, offering researchers a new way to probe the invisible forces shaping the universe. By Jonathan O\u2019Callaghan In 2019, a strange event was observed in the depths of space. Called GW190521, the event sent out gravitational\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Space"","block_context":{"text":"Space","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/space\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Artist\u2019s rendition of two dark matter stars, or bosons, colliding in deep space. \u00a9 Nicol\u00e1s Sanchis-Gual y Roc\u00edo Garc\u00eda Souto, University of Valencia, Spain, 2021","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/02\/12.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/02\/12.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/02\/12.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/02\/12.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/478","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/298"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=478"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/478\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/479"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=478"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=478"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=478"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}