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GarryS
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What is dark energy? What is it composed of?
Dark energy is a hypothetical form of energy that is thought to permeate the universe and contribute to the accelerating expansion of the universe. It is believed to make up about 70% of the total energy in the universe.
Dark energy was first theorized by Albert Einstein in his general theory of relativity. Its existence was later confirmed by observations of distant supernovae in the late 1990s, which showed that the expansion of the universe is accelerating rather than slowing down.
In addition to the observations of distant supernovae, there is also evidence for dark energy from the cosmic microwave background radiation and large-scale structure of the universe. These observations support the idea that dark energy is a real and significant component of the universe.
Dark energy and dark matter are two distinct concepts. Dark energy is a form of energy that is thought to be responsible for the accelerating expansion of the universe, while dark matter is a type of matter that does not interact with light and is thought to make up about 25% of the total mass in the universe.
If dark energy continues to drive the accelerating expansion of the universe, it could lead to a "Big Rip" scenario in which the universe expands at an ever-increasing rate and eventually tears apart all matter, including atoms. However, there is still much uncertainty and ongoing research about the nature and future of dark energy.