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Space

Gravitational waves could settle mystery of the universe's expansion

By Stuart Clark

22 August 2019

LIGO detector

LIGO’s detectors could help resolve the debate over how fast the universe is expanding

Christian Offenberg / Alamy Stock Photo

Cosmologists can’t agree on how fast the universe is expanding because the two different methods they use to find out give distinctly different results. Now a third method involving gravitational waves is looking more promising, and it could help break the deadlock.

Gravitational waves are the minuscule ripples in space-time that were discovered in 2015 by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, better known as LIGO. They are produced when gigantic objects like black holes or neutron stars smash together.…

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