The most precise measurement yet shows the Universe is expanding faster than expected, deepening the Hubble tension. The result hints that something may be missing from our current understanding of the cosmos.

An international team of astronomers has produced one of the most accurate measurements so far of how quickly the nearby Universe is expanding. Rather than settling a long-standing debate, the new result intensifies one of the biggest unresolved problems in cosmology. The collaboration includes John Blakeslee of NSF NOIRLab, which is funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, and draws on data from telescopes across two NSF NOIRLab Programs.

Two competing ways to measure cosmic expansion.