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Runaway Universe
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Program Overview
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NOVA follows cosmologists trying to understand why the universe may
be expanding at an accelerating rate.
The program:
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reviews data from two teams of astronomers that seem to indicate
some unknown force that is causing the universe to expand faster
and faster.
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explains that the astronomers are basing their theories on
observations of type 1A supernovae, which are believed to be
uniformly bright and thus can be used as reference points or
"mileage markers" to measure the expansion of the universe.
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reviews the technical and logistical challenges involved in
finding the right kind of supernova for further study.
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shows how astronomers painstakingly compare recent and
months-old images of thousands of galaxies looking for minute
changes in brightness that signal a supernova.
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notes that preliminary data indicate that the universe is
accelerating in its expansion, not slowing down due to gravity
as previously believed.
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