
When Will Universe Die? New dark energy data makes big bombshell revelations. Here's complete truth
Proposed Model of Dark Energy
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What Happens as Axions Weaken
Could the Universe Collapse?
When Will Universe Die?
A Shift in Cosmic Thinking
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Scientists have long believed the universe would continue expanding forever. However, new findings challenge this view. Recent data from two key cosmic surveys suggest dark energy may not be constant. This could eventually lead to a cosmic collapse known as the 'Big Crunch.' The future of the universe is now open to new interpretations.Researchers from the Dark Energy Survey (DES) and the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) collected detailed observations of galaxies across the universe. This data shows that the force responsible for cosmic expansion, called dark energy, may not behave in a constant way.Dark energy has been assumed to follow the cosmological constant, a fixed value based on Einstein's theory of general relativity. But new results suggest this model might be incomplete or incorrect.A recent study, released in June and now awaiting peer review, offers a new model. It proposes that dark energy includes two parts: the axion and the cosmological constant.Axion: This is a hypothetical ultralight particle. It rarely interacts with matter but can influence the universe on large scales.Cosmological constant: This is a number in Einstein's equations. It is linked to the energy density of space itself.Researchers now believe that the current acceleration of the universe may be mostly due to the axion, rather than the cosmological constant alone.Over time, the axion field may lose its strength. Once this happens, the cosmological constant, which is negative in this new model, could dominate.Unlike a positive cosmological constant, which speeds up expansion, a negative one slows it down. This could reverse the expansion process, according to the study.If this model is correct, the universe's expansion may stop. Then, the universe would start to contract. This would lead to a future collapse phase called the 'Big Crunch.'In this stage, galaxies would move closer, collide, and merge. The universe would become smaller, hotter, and denser. All cosmic structures could break down.According to the researchers, this change could begin in about 10 billion years. That is much sooner than earlier predictions which assumed endless expansion.Another 10 billion years after that could see the universe collapsing completely. The full lifespan of the universe, according to this theory, could be around 33 billion years.The idea that dark energy changes over time introduces major questions. If proven, this could shift the foundation of modern cosmology.For now, the findings are under review. But they open the door to future studies that may better explain how the universe will end.The Big Crunch is a theory where the universe stops expanding and begins contracting until it collapses into a dense, hot point.The universe may start to collapse in about 10 billion years and fully collapse in another 10 billion, totalling about 33 billion years of cosmic life.
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Economic Times
10 hours ago
- Economic Times
Our universe might have an expiry date and it's sooner than we thought
The universe may not be heading for an eternal stretch into emptiness, as once assumed. According to new findings from two of the largest astronomical surveys — the Dark Energy Survey (DES) and the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) — the mysterious force known as dark energy could be changing. That shift, if real, has serious consequences. Instead of expanding forever, the universe might one day contract. Scientists now believe a complete reversal could start within 10 billion years, ending in a collapse known as the Big Crunch. These conclusions come from a new theoretical study, currently in preprint and awaiting peer review, that presents a bold reinterpretation of how cosmic forces years, physicists assumed dark energy was steady and uniform, based on a simple number called the cosmological constant in Einstein's general relativity. But the latest analysis challenges that view. The study, reported by introduces two components behind dark energy: the cosmological constant and a particle known as the axion. Axions are hypothetical ultralight particles that rarely interact with matter. Yet, they could fill the universe and account for much of its current accelerated expansion. The cosmological constant, by contrast, is a fixed energy value in empty space. But in this model, it's not positive. It's team behind the research explained their reasoning clearly. 'We are living in a temporary period of accelerated expansion,' they wrote. 'It is heavily driven by the axion field.'Right now, axions are doing most of the work in keeping the universe expanding. But over time, these particles are expected to lose their influence. Once they fade, the negative cosmological constant will begin to dominate. This shift would decelerate the universe's expansion could not only stop but happens next? According to the model, gravity would begin to pull everything back in. Galaxies would start to draw closer, merge, and collapse into each other. Temperatures would rise. Space would grow smaller, hotter, and the final act, all matter and energy would compress into a single point — a singularity. This collapse, termed the Big Crunch, is effectively the reverse of the Big Bang. The study predicts the beginning of this reversal could occur in 10 billion years. The contraction would then take another 10 billion years to complete. The full lifespan of the universe, under this model, would be about 33.3 billion already 13.8 billion years into that DES and DESI surveys have mapped millions of galaxies to measure how the universe expands over time. These surveys are central to modern cosmology, offering one of the most detailed views of the universe's large-scale recently, all observations supported the idea that dark energy was constant. But the new data show signs that it might be insight gave rise to the axion-dark energy model, or aDE, a theoretical framework that incorporates both axions and a changing cosmological explained by 'One of the most striking findings in the new study is the possibility that the cosmological constant — which reflects the energy density of space itself — may be negative.'The study's authors are careful not to overstate their findings. The model, while compelling, is still under review and not confirmed.'These are preliminary findings,' the researchers acknowledged. They stress that deeper space surveys and next-generation telescopes will be crucial for testing whether dark energy really does evolve with the idea is already sparking serious debate among physicists. If it holds, it would force scientists to rethink the universe's timeline — and its theories go further. They suggest the Big Crunch might not be the absolute that final singularity could trigger another Big Bang. A fresh cycle. A new universe. Though these ideas remain speculative, they reflect just how much we still don't understand about the nature of now, the only certainty is that the universe might be less predictable than once believed. As astronomers dig deeper into the skies, the answers we get may continue to surprise us.


Time of India
10 hours ago
- Time of India
Our universe might have an expiry date and it's sooner than we thought
What the new model proposes Live Events Big Crunch: The opposite of the Big Bang The evidence behind the claim Still just a theory, for now (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The universe may not be heading for an eternal stretch into emptiness, as once assumed. According to new findings from two of the largest astronomical surveys — the Dark Energy Survey (DES) and the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) — the mysterious force known as dark energy could be shift, if real, has serious consequences. Instead of expanding forever, the universe might one day contract. Scientists now believe a complete reversal could start within 10 billion years, ending in a collapse known as the Big Crunch These conclusions come from a new theoretical study, currently in preprint and awaiting peer review, that presents a bold reinterpretation of how cosmic forces years, physicists assumed dark energy was steady and uniform, based on a simple number called the cosmological constant in Einstein's general relativity. But the latest analysis challenges that study, reported by introduces two components behind dark energy: the cosmological constant and a particle known as the axion. Axions are hypothetical ultralight particles that rarely interact with matter. Yet, they could fill the universe and account for much of its current accelerated cosmological constant, by contrast, is a fixed energy value in empty space. But in this model, it's not positive. It's team behind the research explained their reasoning clearly. 'We are living in a temporary period of accelerated expansion,' they wrote. 'It is heavily driven by the axion field.'Right now, axions are doing most of the work in keeping the universe expanding. But over time, these particles are expected to lose their influence. Once they fade, the negative cosmological constant will begin to dominate. This shift would decelerate the universe's expansion could not only stop but happens next? According to the model, gravity would begin to pull everything back in. Galaxies would start to draw closer, merge, and collapse into each other. Temperatures would rise. Space would grow smaller, hotter, and the final act, all matter and energy would compress into a single point — a collapse, termed the Big Crunch, is effectively the reverse of the Big Bang The study predicts the beginning of this reversal could occur in 10 billion years. The contraction would then take another 10 billion years to complete. The full lifespan of the universe, under this model, would be about 33.3 billion already 13.8 billion years into that DES and DESI surveys have mapped millions of galaxies to measure how the universe expands over time. These surveys are central to modern cosmology, offering one of the most detailed views of the universe's large-scale recently, all observations supported the idea that dark energy was constant. But the new data show signs that it might be insight gave rise to the axion-dark energy model, or aDE, a theoretical framework that incorporates both axions and a changing cosmological explained by 'One of the most striking findings in the new study is the possibility that the cosmological constant — which reflects the energy density of space itself — may be negative.'The study's authors are careful not to overstate their findings. The model, while compelling, is still under review and not confirmed.'These are preliminary findings,' the researchers acknowledged. They stress that deeper space surveys and next-generation telescopes will be crucial for testing whether dark energy really does evolve with the idea is already sparking serious debate among physicists. If it holds, it would force scientists to rethink the universe's timeline — and its theories go further. They suggest the Big Crunch might not be the absolute that final singularity could trigger another Big Bang. A fresh cycle. A new universe. Though these ideas remain speculative, they reflect just how much we still don't understand about the nature of now, the only certainty is that the universe might be less predictable than once believed. As astronomers dig deeper into the skies, the answers we get may continue to surprise us.


Time of India
11 hours ago
- Time of India
Plane-sized Asteroid 2025 OW will fly-by at 47,000 mph this week, but NASA scientists say it's nothing new
Not a rare event Live Events Will you be able to see it? What we've learned from past impacts How scientists monitor space rocks Apophis in 2029 (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel An asteroid roughly the size of a commercial aeroplane is expected to pass Earth on 28 July, according to NASA . The object, known as 2025 OW, is about 210 feet across and will fly by at a distance of approximately 393,000 miles. That's about one and a half times farther than the experts are clear: there's nothing to worry about. 'This is very routine,' said Ian J. O'Neill, media relations specialist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). 'If there was a threat, you would hear from us. We would always put out alerts on our planetary defence blog.'The asteroid is moving at a speed of nearly 47,000 miles per hour. Despite that, its trajectory has been calculated with such accuracy that scientists say they already know its path for the next hundred idea of a fast-moving space rock zipping past Earth sounds dramatic, but it's not unusual. 'Close approaches happen all the time — it's just part of the fabric of the solar system,' said Davide Farnocchia, an asteroid expert at NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies ( CNEOS ).NASA keeps track of thousands of near-Earth objects (NEOs), including five currently expected to pass close by next week. Most are far smaller than 2025 OW and travel at much greater distances. While 2025 OW is larger than most, it does not qualify as hazardous. For that, an object needs to be more than 460 feet wide and come within 4.6 million miles of Earth's so, large asteroid impacts are incredibly rare. According to Farnocchia, 'For an object the size of 2025 OW, while close approaches might happen yearly, an actual Earth impact would only occur roughly every 10,000 years.'Not this time. Despite its size and speed, 2025 OW won't be visible without specialist equipment. 'It won't be visible through binoculars,' said there's something on the horizon that could be much more dramatic. A much larger asteroid, called 99942 Apophis , will pass significantly closer to Earth in April 2029 — just 38,000 kilometres away. That's closer than some of our which measures over 1,100 feet across, will be visible to the naked eye. For the public, it could be a rare chance to see an asteroid without needing a is hit by around 100 tons of space dust and small debris every day. It's mostly harmless and burns up in the atmosphere. Larger strikes are rare but not most recent example happened in 2013, when a 20-metre asteroid exploded above Chelyabinsk in Russia. It caused injuries and property damage. Events of that scale happen once every 60 to 80 years. The Tunguska explosion in 1908, caused by an asteroid possibly between 160 and 200 feet wide, flattened trees across over 2,000 square kilometres of Siberian forest. That type of event is expected only once every 200 to 300 terms of size, 2025 OW is in that same range. But unlike the Tunguska asteroid, we know exactly where 2025 OW is going — and it's not tracking capabilities have come a long way. Astronomers rely on a global network of telescopes, with data sent to the Minor Planet Center, the organisation responsible for collecting information on small solar system CNEOS uses that data to model orbits and predict flybys, often years or even decades in advance. There are currently over 30,000 recognised NEOs, out of more than 1.1 million known asteroids in our solar tools are also being developed. NASA's NEO Surveyor mission, along with the European Space Agency's NEOMIR and the Vera Rubin Observatory, aim to spot more asteroids, especially those that approach from the direction of the Sun — a known blind spot for many Earth-based big event on the calendar is Apophis in 2029. Originally discovered in 2004, early models gave it a slim chance of hitting Earth. But after years of observations, scientists have ruled out any impact for at least the next century.'Apophis will come within 38,000 kilometres of Earth in April 2029 — closer than our geostationary satellites,' Farnocchia close pass is expected to give scientists a rare chance to study the effects of Earth's gravity on the asteroid's orbit. Some models suggest that this flyby could slightly alter its path, but not enough to pose any danger in future passes.2025 OW will pass silently and safely. There will be no light show, no debris, and no need to prepare for impact. But it's a timely reminder of the constant motion above our heads, and the systems in place to monitor experts continue to keep watch, not because of 2025 OW, but because one day, a different object might be worth worrying about. Until then, we observe, we prepare, and we learn.