Astronomers say a recent challenge to one of the most important discoveries in modern cosmology has been resolved, with new research confirming that the universe is still expanding at an accelerating rate.
The debate began in late 2025 when a group of astronomers published findings suggesting that evidence for dark energy, the mysterious phenomenon thought to drive the universe’s accelerating expansion, was weakening. Their analysis raised the possibility that the expansion of the universe might no longer be speeding up.
The researchers argued that the standard approach for measuring cosmic expansion using supernovae, the explosive deaths of stars, contained fundamental flaws.
However, a new investigation led by the University of Southampton has reexamined the data and reached a different conclusion. According to the team, the universe continues to behave exactly as current cosmological models predict.
The study, published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, includes Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicists Professor Adam Riess and Professor Brian Schmidt.
New Analysis Supports Cosmic Acceleration
Lead author Dr. Phil Wiseman of the University of Southampton said the controversy that emerged after the 2025 claims stemmed from a misunderstanding of the data rather than a problem with the universe itself.
He added: “The previous and well accepted measurements were, in fact, fine and our current understanding of the fate of the universe remains robust.
“Thankfully we have averted this crisis, but the mystery about why the universe is still accelerating in size remains.
“By proving our measurements are correct, we can get back to trying to understand what dark energy actually is, rather than wondering if it exists at all.”
The discovery that the universe’s expansion is accelerating was originally made by Riess, Schmidt, and American astrophysicist Saul Perlmutter. Their groundbreaking work earned the trio the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics.
Had the 2025 claims proven correct, they would have overturned that landmark discovery and called into question nearly 30 years of cosmological research.
Professor Adam Riess said: “Extraordinary claims require especially careful testing.
“What we find is that when we calibrate these supernovae, accounting for different host environments and populations, the evidence for cosmic acceleration remains remarkably consistent.”
Supernova Measurements Reexamined
To investigate the issue, the Southampton team focused on Type Ia supernovae, extremely bright explosions of white dwarf stars that are used as cosmic distance markers across the universe.
The 2025 study argued that the peak brightness of these supernovae changes as the universe ages. If true, that effect could make astronomers mistakenly conclude that the universe is accelerating when it is actually slowing down.
The new analysis found that the problem was not with the supernovae themselves, but with how their ages had been estimated.
According to the researchers, the earlier study incorrectly treated the age of a galaxy as being the same as the age of the star that eventually exploded as a supernova.
The team also reported that the 2025 analysis did not properly account for the mass of host galaxies, a standard correction routinely used in modern cosmology to improve measurement accuracy.
Lessons for Understanding Dark Energy
Professor Mark Sullivan of the University of Southampton emphasized that questioning accepted ideas is an essential part of scientific progress.
He added: “This is how progress is made. Although this idea did not turn out correct, it has opened up new ways of thinking about how supernovae explode and how we can measure dark energy more accurately.”
Co-author Dr. Brodie Popovic said the project provided an opportunity to revisit assumptions that underpin modern cosmology.
He added: “We’ve recently been really focused on astrophysics of the explosions and how they impact cosmology.
“This was a good opportunity to go back and go over all of our assumptions — it turns out, yes, we do understand this stuff and we’re accounting for it in our cosmology measurement.”