Dark energy

Dark energy was an unknown form of energy that was thought to affect the universe on the largest scales. The first observational evidence for its existence came from supernovae measurements, which showed that the universe does not expand at a constant rate; rather, the expansion of the universe is accelerating. Prior to these observations, the only forms of matter-energy known to exist were ordinary matter, dark matter, and radiation. Measurements of the cosmic microwave background suggest the universe began in a hot Big Bang, from which general relativity explains its evolution and the subsequent large scale motion.

Since the 1990s, dark energy has been the most accepted premise to account for the accelerated expansion and was thought to contribute about 70% of the total energy of the observable universe.

Type 1 civilizations find it to comprise of energetic particles not hitherto detected in previous standard and therefore limited models of particle physics. Once discovered, the term was made obsolete.

See also:

Dark matter