Astronomers using data from the Hubble Space Telescope have determined that the universe is expanding at a faster rate than estimated earlier. Using the Hubble data, the press release stated:
After 30 years of meticulous work using the Hubble telescope’s extraordinary observing power, numerous teams of astronomers have narrowed the expansion rate to a precision of just over 1%. This can be used to predict that the universe will double in size in 10 billion years.
I like another line in the Hubble press release following the discussion of another discovery showing that “the present expansion rate is different than it is expected to be as the universe appeared shortly after the big bang.” The press release noted:
You think this would frustrate astronomers, but instead it opens the door to discovering new physics, and confronting unanticipated questions about the underlying workings of the universe. And, finally, reminding us that we have a lot more to learn among the stars.
That’s the spirit. And yes, that galaxy far, far away is just getting ever further away every day.
Our Awesome Universe 