What is dark energy? Well, it accounts for the majority of the entire Universe. There’s just one problem, not only can we not see it, but we’re not even 100% sure it exists at all. However, a recent report by the Dark Energy Survey or DES, has found some new and interesting things about the mysterious energy state.
Category
📚
LearningTranscript
00:00 [Music]
00:04 What is dark energy?
00:05 Well, it accounts for the majority of the entire universe.
00:08 There's just one problem.
00:09 Not only can we not see it,
00:11 but we're not even 100% sure it exists at all.
00:14 However, a recent report from the Dark Energy Survey, or DES,
00:18 has found some new and interesting things about the mysterious energy state.
00:22 Experts estimate that dark energy makes up some 70% of the observable universe,
00:27 and astronomers attribute the expansion of it to that very source.
00:30 Now, using better observations from more advanced telescopes and instrumentation,
00:34 dark energy researcher Robert Nichols says
00:36 they may now have a much better idea of what's going on.
00:39 They use data from giant supernovae or exploding stars
00:42 as a measurement tool to allow them to compare their mathematical expectations to real observations.
00:47 They now have the most accurate measurement for dark energy's equation state,
00:51 or the state that describes the ratio of pressure over energy density for a substance,
00:56 noted as W.
00:57 Previously, they believed dark energy's W value was -1.
01:01 However, their new observations have revealed it's closer to -0.8.
01:05 So why is that important?
01:06 Well, any W value greater than -1 leads to the Big Rip Model,
01:10 or where the constant expansion and acceleration of the universe eventually tears it apart.
01:15 This new number gives us better odds that won't happen,
01:17 meaning the universe isn't necessarily on a dead-end path to eventual destruction.
01:23 (upbeat music)
01:25 (upbeat music)