New mathematical research suggests dark energy may not be needed to explain the accelerating expansion of the universe, challenging the foundations of the standard cosmological model. Mathematicians are questioning whether dark energy is actually responsible for the universe’s accelerating expansion. In a new study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society A, researchers at the [...]

After AAS 247 in Phoenix, Arizona, AAS Nova Editor Kerry Hensley and I had the chance to travel about 150 miles south for a tour of Kitt Peak National Observatory.

A Window into Kitt Peak

Located 60 miles southwest of Tucson, Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) resides on a mountain top within the Tohono O’odham Nation reservation. Founded in 1958, Kitt Peak is home to nearly two dozen active telescopes ranging in wavelength coverage and scientific objectives. Ronald Proctor, Lori Allen, and Jacelle Ramon-Sauberan, all serving in crucial roles for the observatory, led our tour around the mountain.

Our visit began in the new Windows on the Universe Center — the first science center inside of a telescope. Situated inside the retired McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope, the Windows Center takes visitors through exhibits exploring the universe, the telescope’s original control room, and the observatory’s connection to the Tohono O’odham Nation.

The center’s lobby introduced visitors to the beautiful land KPNO calls home. Working with Tohono O’odham linguists, Jacelle, the observatory’s Tohono O’odham Nation Education Liaison, curated the lobby exhibit that features the native language and the Nation’s connection to astronomy and the observatory. The science center serves as an educational resource and place of cultural exchange, expanding the relationship between the observatory and the Tohono O’odham Nation. 

After walking through an introduction to the universe exhibit, visitors enter the original control room of the telescope. Mirrors across the room’s ceiling focus the Sun’s light onto table screens where visitors can observe the Sun in real time without burning their eyeballs. In addition to observing the Sun, the solar telescope allowed astronauts in the 1960s to view a projection of the Moon’s surface and plan their landing site for the Apollo 11 mission. Visitors can stand in the same place and witness the instruments that made the moon landing possible.

At the end of the Windows Center is a Science On a Sphere Theater — a spherical display system that allows visitors to see planets, stars, moons, and even large-scale structures of the universe in 3D. Featuring multiple programs, the theater takes visitors through the universe and displays data collected right there on the mountain!

A WIYN for Exoplanetary Science

Though not typically open to the public for tours, our next stop took us to the WIYN 3.5-meter telescope. This telescope is operated and owned by the WIYN Consortium, a partnership between the University of Wisconsin, Indiana University, NSF’s NOIRLab (National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory; formerly NOAO), Pennsylvania State University, and Princeton University. Operating since 1994 with a strong collection of instruments, WIYN has observed galaxies near and far, stars across their lifetimes, and exoplanets tugging on their host stars.

WIYN’s newest instrument, NEID (pronounced “NOO-id”), has been advancing exoplanetary science since its first light in early 2020. Derived from the word meaning “to see” in the Tohono O’odham language, NEID is a high-resolution spectrograph that uses the radial velocity method to detect exoplanets. As a planet orbits its host star, its gravitational pull induces a wobble in the star, and NEID can detect these wobbles with unprecedented precision. This instrument allows astronomers to find exoplanets that were previously undetectable.

The partnership between public and private universities and a government institution was the first of its kind. Through this consortium, hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students have conducted research with WIYN, and the telescope’s suite of instruments have enabled early career astronomers to explore the universe both near and far.

Mysteries of Dark Energy at Mayall

We concluded our tour at the Mayall 4-meter Telescope, the tallest telescope dome on the mountain at a staggering 18 stories high. This iconic telescope saw first light in 1973, and at the time, was the second-largest (in diameter) telescope in the world. Originally built for wide-field optical and infrared studies of the universe, the Mayall has enabled decades of critical scientific research.

Mayall is now home to the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), the most powerful multi-object survey spectrograph in the world. The DESI survey measures the impact of dark energy on the expansion of the universe through creating the largest ever 3D map of the universe. Mapping the distances to hundreds of millions of galaxies, DESI has revolutionized cosmology and enabled groundbreaking research into the origins of the universe. 

From the telescope’s massive dome, to the busy DESI control room, to the gallery floor with a nearly 360 degree view of the surrounding desert, the Mayall offers visitors a unique glimpse into Kitt Peak’s history and its future. While WIYN is a hidden gem, the Mayall 4-meter Telescope is open to the public for tours daily, so you can experience the exciting era of research and discovery at KPNO. 

Visit Kitt Peak

Interested in getting a peek yourself? KPNO is open to the public daily with multiple tour types to choose from, including both daytime and nighttime visits! Plan your visit to Kitt Peak here.

The post Getting a Peek of Kitt Peak National Observatory appeared first on AAS Nova.

I premiere my 2013 video lecture "8 Reasons Why Evolution is Foolish" on YouTube. I present 8 reasons why evolution is impossible. I cover questions on cosmogony, the origin of the universe, the stars and galaxies, the Earth, and the origin of life.

I presented on the subject of problems for the big bang on the YouTube channel Standing for Truth Ministries. I discussed the most common problems the big bang theory has, the contradictions, fudge factors and failures.

Since 2015, black holes have gained attention in astronomy, particularly regarding their potential role in discovering elusive dark matter particles like dark photons. Superradiance, a theoretical process, could theoretically boost these particles' energies near black holes. However, the absence of observed superradiance raises questions about dark matter's complexity and the validity of existing cosmological theories.

Dark matter is equated to the metaphor of the Emperor's new clothes. Dark photons and other hypothetical particles are fictitious constructs used to explain phenomena without concrete evidence, underlining that current astrophysical models are flawed and nonsensical.

I question the acceptance of Dark Matter and Dark Energy by biblical creationists, suggesting they are problematic placeholders for undiscovered physics. The arguments for their existence are challenged by alternative cosmological models and criticisms of observational methodologies, calling for a re-evaluation of accepted astrophysical tenets.

How much of cosmology is fiction? What are the fudge factors. How much is being fudged. Are there insurmountable problems with our current model of big bang cosmology?

Big bang cosmology faces unresolved problems with the standard ΛCDM model needing unknown fudge factors. A new timescape cosmology, where time passes faster or slower in voids and filaments of the cosmic web, may resolve the Dark Energy problem, but it indicates a need to rethink the foundations of cosmology.

Mathematicians from University College London and the University of California, Davis, have published a mathematical proof that the Universe’s accelerating expansion can be explained without dark energy, dealing a serious blow to the Lambda-cold dark matter model.

The post Is Dark Energy Unnecessary? Mathematicians Challenge Standard Cosmological Model of Universe appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.