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Researchers propose that the apparent acceleration of the universe's expansion, long attributed to dark energy, could instead be an illusion caused by uneven distribution of matter across the cosmos. Their model suggests that variations in cosmic density affect how we measure distances and light from distant supernovae, mimicking the signature of accelerated expansion without requiring a mysterious energy field.
NASA launched the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope on August 30, marking the first space telescope named after a woman. The mission, previously known as WFIRST, will study dark matter, dark energy, and exoplanets, continuing work in the field Roman helped establish as NASA's first chief of astronomy in 1959.
Researchers led by Teixeira, building on Khoury and Vafa's string theory work, propose that dark energy and dark matter interact and share a common origin tied to an extra 'dark dimension' far larger than other theorized hidden dimensions. In this framework, massive 'dark gravitons' leaking into this dimension could explain why the universe's measured expansion rate differs by about 9 percent depending on when it's measured, an anomaly known as the Hubble tension.
The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument team has published an updated version of its Legacy Imaging Surveys, offering free public access to the largest three-dimensional map of the cosmos ever assembled. The dataset spans 5.6 trillion pixels and roughly 75 percent of the sky, cataloging about 4 billion stars, galaxies, black holes and asteroids captured in visible and near-infrared light.
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope lifted off from Kennedy Space Center aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, beginning its mission to investigate dark matter and dark energy. Shortly after launch, the telescope successfully deployed its solar panels and sun shade, with remaining instruments set to activate in coming weeks. First images are expected in early 2027, with the observatory eventually beaming back 1.4 terabytes of data daily.
SpaceX is set to launch NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope aboard a Falcon Heavy rocket, with a launch window opening at 7:26 a.m. EDT. The telescope will settle nearly 1 million miles from Earth, using a 300-megapixel infrared camera and a coronagraph to map dark matter and search for Earth-like exoplanets, with all data made publicly available.
NASA's $4.3-billion Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launched successfully atop a SpaceX rocket from Kennedy Space Center, carrying the largest infrared digital camera ever built along with a large mirror originally built for a spy satellite. The observatory, named after NASA's first chief astronomer, is now headed to its operational orbit to study dark energy, map millions of Milky Way stars, and search for exoplanets.
NASA has named its next major space observatory after Nancy Grace Roman, the agency's first chief astronomer and a key figure behind Hubble. The telescope will offer a field of view at least 100 times wider than Hubble's, allowing it to capture light from potentially a billion galaxies over its operational life.
NASA plans to launch the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope on Aug. 30, a $4.3 billion observatory built from a spare satellite donated by the National Reconnaissance Office roughly 15 years ago. The telescope will search for Type 1A supernovas and study dark energy, the mysterious force driving the universe's expansion, while also hunting for exoplanets.
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is scheduled to launch atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center no earlier than 7:26AM Eastern on August 30, with live coverage starting at 6:20AM. If weather or technical issues delay the flight, a backup attempt is planned for August 31 at 7:22AM Eastern. NASA will also host a science briefing and prelaunch news conference on August 29.