A 9-billion-year-old signal could help explain dark energy

What happened

A Canadian radio telescope has detected the faint glow of hydrogen from billions of years ago using only its own observations, proving a long-awaited way to map the distant universe can actually work. CHIME can use this hydrogen signal to trace how matter is spread across space and measure how the universe has expanded over time, offering a powerful new way to investigate dark energy.

Science News from research organizations A 9-billion-year-old signal could help explain dark energy Date: October 9, 2026 Source: University of British Columbia Summary: A Canadian radio telescope has detected the faint glow of hydrogen from billions of years ago using only its own observations, proving a long-awaited way to map the distant universe can actually work. Share: Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIN Email FULL STORY For the first time, the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) has demonstrated that it can detect the extremely faint radio glow of hydrogen gas from the distant universe using only its own observations. The result could give scientists a faster and less costly way to investigate dark energy, the still mysterious phenomenon believed to be accelerating the expansion of the universe.