Hubble’s Timeless Lens: Unveiling the Universe for Decades

TECH

By Aniket Chakraborty Feb 5, 2025 Arrow

Type 1a supernovae serve as "standard candles" in astronomy due to their consistent intrinsic luminosity across all wavelengths.

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The Cosmic Distance Ladder uses standard candles to determine accurate distances to extremely distant objects in space.

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Hubble is observing 100 Type 1a supernovae to improve calibration of standard candle measurements.

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Intergalactic dust poses a challenge by reddening light from distant supernovae, making accurate distance measurements difficult.

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Prof. Ryan Foley leads a program aimed at reducing distance biases in Type 1a supernova measurements.

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Current measurement methods can have errors up to 6% when calculating distances to objects hundreds of millions of light-years away.

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Researchers are using seven different wavelength bands, from ultraviolet to near-infrared, to improve measurement accuracy.

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Type 1a supernovae occur in binary systems where a white dwarf draws material from its companion star until explosion.

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This research is crucial for developing a more accurate cosmic distance ladder and better understanding of the Universe.

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