The paper was a product of collaboration between 17 researchers across 9 countries, including the UK. The theory that black holes, where gravity is the strongest in the universe, could be the source of the main force opposing it has theorists polarised. However, what observations suggest is that this dark energy does more than compensate for the gravity, it is in fact far stronger. This expansive force is needed, though, to keep the universe in balance: were only gravity present, the universe would collapse in on itself under its gravity. The expansion of the universe is also predicted in the theory of relativity, something that Einstein initially called his “biggest blunder”. For a long time, their existence was hotly contested by physicists, a debate that was brought to rest for good upon the first photograph of a black hole, taken as recently as 2019.

First predicted in Einstein’s theory of relativity, black holes were initially thought to be a mistake in the mathematics. Black holes “accrete” all matter that comes near it, and in this way increase in size. Black holes are thought to be at the centre of each galaxy, the echoes of large stars that collapsed under their own gravity, some with a gravitational pull equivalent to millions of suns. On the outset, it is hard to guess what this would have to do with black holes. The source and nature of dark energy are considered to be some of the biggest puzzles physicists are working on today. There must be some invisible, “dark” mass, and this is what we call dark energy. This expansion, however, doesn’t exactly correspond to the amount of mass astronomers can detect.

In other words, the distance between things in the universe: stars, galaxies, planets is increasing. According to observations, our universe is expanding, at an increasing rate. A black sphere surrounded by a large bright orange disc, attracting swirls of dust.īlack holes are the source of dark energy, suggests a paper that has taken astronomers by storm.ĭark energy is the name given to the mysterious “missing” 70% of the mass in our universe. Featured Image description: An artist’s impression of a black hole.

What is the dark energy