Scientists Discover Universe Moved in Slow Motion in Its Early Days
Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery about the early days of the universe, revealing that things moved in slow motion compared to the present. The finding supports Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity, which suggests that the distant universe moved much more slowly in the past.
The study, published in the journal Nature Astronomy, involved peering into the universe when it was about 1 billion years old. Given the vastness of the universe, studying its infancy is like looking back in time. Faint light from the oldest galaxies is still traveling across the universe to reach Earth, providing scientists with a glimpse into the past.
However, observing the ancient universe is a challenging task. The reach of telescopes can only extend so far across the cosmos, limiting the ability to study the early universe directly. To overcome this obstacle, scientists turned to a celestial phenomenon known as a quasar.
A quasar is an exceptionally bright object located at the center of an early galaxy, powered by a supermassive black hole. This brightness serves as a celestial clock that researchers can use to track time across the universe. By observing quasars over time, astronomers were able to see how the universe seemed to speed up as it aged.
The study’s lead author, Geraint Lewis, a professor of astrophysics at the University of Sydney, explained that “looking back to a time when the universe was just over a billion years old, we see time appearing to flow five times slower.” He added, “from our position, more than 12 billion years into the future, that early time appears to drag.”
The research sheds light on the expansion of the universe, which is still not fully understood. By unlocking the mysteries of the early days of the universe, scientists hope to gain insight into its origin, evolution, and future.
The study’s coauthor, Dr. Brendon Brewer, conducted an analysis of 190 quasars observed over two decades. These observations, captured at different wavelengths of light, revealed that quasars “ticked” like clocks, providing further evidence of the slow-motion movement of the early universe.
While astronomers have previously used supernovas as cosmic clocks, they become harder to observe at greater distances from Earth. Quasars, on the other hand, offer a more reliable and visible source for tracking the early universe.
Dr. Lewis described the significance of the findings, stating, “What we have done is unravel this firework display, showing that quasars, too, can be used as standard markers of time for the early universe.”
By delving into the earliest moments of the universe, scientists hope to deepen their understanding of the cosmos and answer some of the biggest questions about its existence.