We all have learnt about the Big Bang theory- not the TV show, but the actual theory. If you didn’t have a chance to brush up on that topic I can for you! The Big Bang theory is, well…a theory explaining the start of the universe; everything existing now happened due to a Big Bang, which made the universe. Let me explain! The universe started as a very small (probably smaller than an atom) particle which was extremely hot. This little piece of hotness eventually expanded with explosive hydrogen molecules. The expansion seen is the reason stars, solar systems, planets and galaxies were ever formed. Well, this is just a theory, which means it can be proven incorrect. However, many scientists and researchers have evidence to believe the Big Bang to be true. One of the major key points pointed by it is that the universe is expanding at an increasing rate.
If the universe was once as small as a grain of salt and now has expanded into an everlasting space, it had to have been growing for a long time. But now the question arises — HOW?
This is where the topic of the day comes in- Dark Energy. Dark matter is one of the topics we explored in one of our previous articles, but now a new phrase is introduced - DARK ENERGY, sounds kinda cool.
In simple terms, dark energy is the reason our universe is expanding, it also makes up for 70% of the universe. Dark energy is not something we can measure or look at or feel. It’s just there, it’s the reason for the expansion. We don’t really know what it is or how to study it, but we know it’s there.
The reason we know that something called dark energy is present — is due to the shifting of the universe. During the Big Bang the universe was expanding at elevated rates, but it gradually slowed down. But scientists have observed that the pace has again started to increase, from the past 5 billion years. It is not only that the acceleration has increased- it is constantly increasing. The expansion rate of the universe is turning out to be faster and faster with time. The slowing down of the expansion resulted in the formation of galaxies, planets, stars, and many more.
“Dark energy couldn’t have become the dominant thing too early in the universe, because matter would not have been able to clump together to form galaxies and stars and planets — and us,” explained UChicago Prof. Joshua Frieman.
As I said earlier, dark energy is not a thing. But still we have some IDEAS on what it could be or could influence. We know it makes up around 70% of the universe. The force it exerts is like the opposite of gravity. Gravity pulls objects toward the object pulling them. Dark energy repels, it repels the universe causing it to expand (Try visualizing it to better understand). Dark energy is not reactive to light. It is uniformly distributed across the universe.
What we know of this new energy is relatively low. Maybe this has to do with its late entrance in the universe cycle? We don’t really know. We don’t know its basic principles, properties, or fundamentals. We don’t know if it is expanding, contracting, or still. We don’t know if it is filled with something(matter/energy) or is void of space or a vacuum.
I feel that the concept of dark energy is really fascinating. It’s like a suspense book/movie when you don’t know what’s going to happen next. While researching, I could feel a bone-chilling feeling — just like when there is something in the darkness you don’t know. There is more on this topic, which unfortunately couldn’t fit in this blog. Trust me, I will be back with even more exciting details next time. Till then, ADDIOS!!!
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