A team of South Korean scientists have discovered evidence that dark energy may end the universe in what astronomers have called a ‘Big Crunch’.
Analysis suggests that instead of the universe continuing to expand, galaxies could be pulled back together via gravity.
Scientists who conducted the analysis believe they could be on the cusp of one of the most major discoveries in astronomy for decades.
Other astronomers have questioned the findings, however, but are unable to completely rule out the findings.
Previously, astronomers believed that the expansion of the universe, which kicked off with the Big Bang, should gradually slow down due to gravity.
But in 1998 evidence for dark energy was discovered as a force speeding up the expansion of the universe.
Theories suggested that the expanding universe would spread the stars so far apart that almost nothing would be visible to us in the sky at night.
Meanwhile, other theories suggested that it might even tear atoms apart, in what was described as a ‘Big Rip’.
A team of South Korean scientists have discovered evidence that dark energy may end the universe in what astronomers have called a ‘Big Crunch’ (Stock photo)
In March, surprising results from an instrument on a telescope in the Arizona desert, named the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (Desi), were collected.
Data suggested that acceleration of the galaxies had changed over time, according to Professor Ofer Lahav of University College London.
He told the BBC: ‘Now with this changing dark energy going up and then down, again, we need a new mechanism. And this could be a shake up for the whole of physics.’
Prof Young Wook Lee, of Yonsei University in Seoul, and his team returned to the kind of supernova data that first revealed dark energy nearly three decades ago.
Adjustments made by the team suggested that not only had dark energy changed over time, but that the acceleration was in fact slowing down.
Professor Lee said: ‘The fate of the Universe will change.’
If dark energy is really weakening, then one possibility is that it becomes so weak that gravity starts to pull the galaxies back together.
This would mean a Big Crunch is possible.
