New Measurements Confirm Faster-Than-Expected Expansion of the Universe

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 15:53:00 +0200

A global team of astronomers has achieved the most precise measurement yet of the local Universe's expansion rate, revealing that it is expanding faster than predicted by early-Universe models. This discrepancy, known as the Hubble tension, has been observed repeatedly across multiple independent studies. Using a collaborative framework called the H0 Distance Network, researchers combined decades of data from ground-based telescopes in Chile and Arizona with space observatories to create a comprehensive 'distance network.' This network cross-checks different measurement techniques, including Cepheid variable stars, red giant stars, Type Ia supernovae, and galaxy types. The team determined the Hubble constant to be 73.50 ± 0.81 kilometers per second per megaparsec, achieving better than 1% precision. The findings suggest that the tension is unlikely to result from measurement errors alone and could point to new physics beyond the standard cosmological model, such as unknown particles, v