Einstein’s theory on speed of expanding universe proved correct

London - Detailed observations of the changing distance between galaxies, revealed in a new study, show that the mysterious acceleration of space, which began five to six billion years ago, perfectly matched predictions made by Einstein in 1916.

The new measurements show that the universe is expanding at an ever-increasing rate and that the structures within it, such as galaxy clusters, are also growing.

The findings match Einstein’s general theory of relativity in which he proposed the rate at which galaxies should be drawn towards one another and at which the universe ought to expand.

“What our results mean is that within our model, which is based on general relativity, we have found that the universe behaves exactly as we would expect it to,” the Telegraph quoted Will Percival, of Portsmouth University, as saying.

“Its rate of expansion fits exactly within general relativity, and the growth of structures within the universe also matches perfectly,” he said.

“We already knew that the predictions of general relativity are extremely accurate for distances within the solar system, and now we can say that they are accurate for distances of 100 million light-years,” said Beth Reid of NASA.

“We’re looking a billion times further away than Einstein looked when he tested his theory, but it still seems to work,” she added.