Astronomy Picture of the Day

NASA ^ | 12/24/06 | High-Z Supernova Search Team, HST, NASA

[sig226]

Rumors of a Strange Universe
Credit: High-Z Supernova Search Team, HST, NASA

Explanation: Eight years ago results were first presented indicating that most of the energy in our universe is not in stars or galaxies but is tied to space itself. In the language of cosmologists, a large cosmological constant is directly implied by new distant supernovae observations. Suggestions of a cosmological constant (lambda) are not new -- they have existed since the advent of modern relativistic cosmology. Such claims were not usually popular with astronomers, though, because lambda is so unlike known universe components, because lambda's value appeared limited by other observations, and because less-strange cosmologies without lambda had previously done well in explaining the data. What is noteworthy here is the seemingly direct and reliable method of the observations and the good reputations of the scientists conducting the investigations. Over the past eight years, independent teams of astronomers have continued to accumulate data that appears to confirm the unsettling result. The above picture of a supernova that occurred in 1994 on the outskirts of a spiral galaxy was taken by one of these collaborations.

[sig226]

The cosmic constant returns like an evil monster in a cheap sequel. I wish they would stop pretending at fancy solutions and put more time and money into observation.

[sig226]

[Lurker]

most of the energy in our universe is not in stars or galaxies but is tied to space itself

Fundamentally matter and energy are the same thing.

L

[Enterprise]

Intrepid explorers of the cosmology.

[sig226]

You can get into some great arguments in bars with that one. If you do it right, you can even start a fistfight. 8<)

[Young Werther]

"Can Entropy be Reversed?"

[metmom]

Awesome photo.

[True Republican Patriot]

And in the Beginning, There was GOD, Creator of the Universe!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sig226]

Merry Christmas, all, tommorrow we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Christ.

[LonePalm]

Ahhhh, entropy isn't what it used to be.

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

[LdSentinal]

That's so awesome.

[metmom]

Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.