Telescopes are super important for helping us learn about dark matter and dark energy. Together, they make up about 95% of everything in the universe!
Even though we know they exist, they are really hard to study. That’s why astronomers use telescopes to gather important information.
Gravitational Lensing: Telescopes can see how light from faraway galaxies bends when it passes near big objects, like galaxy clusters. This bending of light is called gravitational lensing. It helps scientists figure out how much dark matter is around these massive objects. Some studies show that dark matter can be 5 to 10 times heavier than what we can actually see!
Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB): Telescopes, like the Planck satellite, look at the CMB. This is radiation left over from the Big Bang. By studying the tiny changes in this radiation, scientists can learn about dark energy and how it relates to the expansion of the universe. Right now, we think dark energy is making the universe speed up, with a speed increase of about 73 kilometers per second for every megaparsec (a unit used in astronomy).
Supernova Observations: Telescopes watch special explosions called Type Ia supernovae. These explosions act like “standard candles” that help us measure distances in space. When we observe them, they seem brighter than expected. This brightness indicates there’s a force from dark energy pushing things apart. It shows us that not only is the universe getting bigger, but it’s getting bigger faster!
So, telescopes are essential tools that help us understand the tricky relationship between dark matter and dark energy. They are vital for discovering more about how our universe works!
Telescopes are super important for helping us learn about dark matter and dark energy. Together, they make up about 95% of everything in the universe!
Even though we know they exist, they are really hard to study. That’s why astronomers use telescopes to gather important information.
Gravitational Lensing: Telescopes can see how light from faraway galaxies bends when it passes near big objects, like galaxy clusters. This bending of light is called gravitational lensing. It helps scientists figure out how much dark matter is around these massive objects. Some studies show that dark matter can be 5 to 10 times heavier than what we can actually see!
Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB): Telescopes, like the Planck satellite, look at the CMB. This is radiation left over from the Big Bang. By studying the tiny changes in this radiation, scientists can learn about dark energy and how it relates to the expansion of the universe. Right now, we think dark energy is making the universe speed up, with a speed increase of about 73 kilometers per second for every megaparsec (a unit used in astronomy).
Supernova Observations: Telescopes watch special explosions called Type Ia supernovae. These explosions act like “standard candles” that help us measure distances in space. When we observe them, they seem brighter than expected. This brightness indicates there’s a force from dark energy pushing things apart. It shows us that not only is the universe getting bigger, but it’s getting bigger faster!
So, telescopes are essential tools that help us understand the tricky relationship between dark matter and dark energy. They are vital for discovering more about how our universe works!