Scientists have reaffirmed that the universe is still expanding at an accelerating rate after re-examining data from powerful stellar explosions known as Type Ia supernovae.

The findings matter because the accelerating expansion of the universe is one of the central ideas in modern cosmology. It also supports the continued relevance of dark energy, the mysterious force scientists believe is driving galaxies farther apart over time.

The new research counters a study published last year that suggested the universe’s expansion may no longer be speeding up. That claim had raised questions about long-standing models used to explain the structure, history and possible future of the cosmos.

The latest study was led by researchers including Brodie Popovic, an astrophysicist at the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom. The research was published this month in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Popovic said the universe is still accelerating, while noting that many questions about dark energy and cosmic expansion remain unresolved.

The researchers reviewed two separate datasets based on observations of Type Ia supernovae. These explosions are widely used in astronomy because they help scientists measure extremely large distances across the universe.

A Type Ia supernova occurs when a white dwarf star explodes. A white dwarf is the dense, hot remnant left behind after a low- or medium-mass star reaches the end of its life.

Observations of Type Ia supernovae helped scientists in the late 1990s discover that the universe’s expansion was accelerating. That discovery later became a foundation for the theory of dark energy.

The latest analysis supports the view that current supernova-based measurements remain reliable. It also challenges the argument that earlier measurements were distorted by the age of stars linked to the supernovae.

Scientists say more data will be needed to better understand dark energy, which remains one of the biggest unanswered questions in physics and astronomy.

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