Universe‘s Expansion May be Slowing,Leading to a Dark,silent Future,New Research Suggests
WASHINGTON – The ultimate fate of the universe remains one of cosmology’s biggest questions,but emerging research suggests a potential end scenario dramatically different from the previously dominant theory of accelerating expansion.While some evidence points to a continued speeding up of the universe driven by a mysterious force called dark energy, new data indicates the expansion may actually be slowing down, potentially leading to a “dark eternity” trillions of years from now.
for decades, scientists believed the universe would continue expanding indefinitely, with galaxies increasingly isolated from one another. This expansion, initially discovered by Edwin Hubble in the 1920s, was later found to be accelerating, attributed to the influence of dark energy. This would result in galaxies “zooming away from each other faster and faster,” eventually becoming unobservable from the Milky Way.
However, recent findings challenge this view, suggesting the universe may eventually “coast along or slow to a halt.” Regardless of wich scenario prevails, the long-term outlook involves a gradual decline into darkness. star formation will cease, leaving galaxies populated by aging, red, and dim stars that slowly cool. These galaxies will ultimately merge into single, massive elliptical galaxies.
The predicted outcome, lasting trillions of years, is a universe where observation of galaxies beyond our local group becomes unachievable. While new data could alter this understanding, scientists currently believe the universe itself won’t simply vanish, even if its future form is drastically different from its present state. Despite the potentially bleak outlook, researchers emphasize the unique prospect humanity has to explore and understand the cosmos during its current vibrant phase. “We live at a very exciting time in the story of the universe: right at the start, in an era full of exciting stars and galaxies to observe!” the article notes.
