The universe is expanding 5 to 9 percent faster than astronomers had thought, a new study suggests. Enigmatic dark matter, which is thought to be four times more abundant than "normal" matter throughout the universe, could also have some weird and unappreciated characteristics. Related on Space.com: Supernova Photos: Great Images of Star ExplosionsThese are two different types of "cosmic yardsticks" that allow scientists to measure distances across the universe. For example, the mysterious force known as dark energy, which is thought to be behind the universe's accelerating expansion, may be stronger than astronomers had thought. The new, unprecedentedly precise value for the Hubble constant comes out to 45.5 miles (73.2 kilometers) per second per megaparsec.

Source: Fox News June 03, 2016 09:11 UTC