NASA's Webb Telescope Confirms Universe's Unexpectedly Rapid Expansion

Reuters/file photo

Scientists have confirmed that the universe is expanding faster than expected, a phenomenon known as the "Hubble Tension." Data from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope validated earlier findings from the Hubble Space Telescope, showing an expansion rate about 8% higher than predicted by current cosmological models.

This discrepancy suggests gaps in our understanding of dark matter and dark energy, which together constitute 96% of the universe. Researchers measured distances to galaxies using pulsating stars called Cepheids and found consistent results between the two telescopes, ruling out instrument errors.

The Hubble constant, which measures the universe's expansion rate, was found to average around 73 (in kilometers per second per megaparsec), higher than the predicted 67-68 under the standard cosmological model.

Astrophysicists propose various hypotheses to explain the anomaly, including exotic properties of dark matter, dark energy, or even gravity itself. More data is needed to refine these theories and better understand the origins of this cosmic mystery.