An international team of researchers have created the largest and most detailed 3D map of the universe ever.
The map allows scientists to track the expansion of the cosmos through the 11 billion years since the Big Bang.
“This is like going from a hand-drawn map of the universe to a satellite image,” Swinburne University of Technology’s Dr Ryan Turner said.
“With our much more detailed map, we can picture a larger area and now have significantly more detail in those farther away places and a much more detailed understanding of the structure in our patch of the universe.”
As well as researchers from Swinburne, scientists at the University of Queensland developed crucial software for the project.
”The software models the size and shape of the Baryon Acoustic Oscillation (BAO) feature, a remnant of sound waves from the early universe,” UQ’s Dr Cullan Howlett said.
“The BAO’s size acts as a standard ruler, and by comparing its size at different distances from earth to how big it should have been in the early universe, we can measure the expansion rate of the universe.
‘Goodnight Odie’: Lunar lander’s last image before powering down
“This information allows us to peer 11 billion years into the past and study how the universe has evolved over time and measure the effects of matter and dark energy.”
Dr Turner said there were also plenty of cosmic surprises to come.
“As the 3D map evolves with more data, we anticipate our understanding of cosmic structures, dark energy, and the fundamental laws governing our universe will continue to refine,” he said.
“But for now, we’ll continue to explore this map in search of more universal dark secrets.”
