Scientists conclude that the universe may expand forever

August 20, 2010

A study of the amount of in the  suggests that the universe itself may continue to expand indefinitely. Researchers say that the universe will likely then become a cold, dead cosmic wasteland.

The study was conducted by an international team of researchers led by Professor Eric Jullo at NASA's in California. The researchers used data from the Hubble Space Telescope showing the way that light was distorted, known as a, from a large known as  to estimate the amount of dark energy to be about three quarters of the universe.

Dark energy is a completely invisible force that is constantly acting upon the universe. Its existence is known only because of its effects on the expansion of the universe.

As the universe expands and cools, the temperature will approach.

Jullo says that scientists can now say, for the first time, that the universe "will continue to accelerate and the universe will expand forever".