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Surprising Science

Dark Matter Theory Gains Ground

A theory that disputed the existence of dark matter—that mysterious energy causing the universe to expand at an increasing rate—has been disproved by evidence from the Hubble telescope.
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A theory that said our observation of an expanding universe is an illusion, due to our galaxy’s unique situation in the cosmos, has been disproved by the Hubble space telescope. “We now can say with even greater accuracy than ever before that the expansion rate of the universe is 73.8 kilometers per second per megaparsec. A parsec is equivalent to about 3.26 light-years, so this means that for ever 3.26 million light-years a galaxy is from Earth, it appears to be moving away from us 73.8 kilometers per second faster than it would if it was right next to us.”

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