When Albert Einstein told us about the relationship between mass,
energy, space and time, he assumed that the universe was static. Even
though his first equations showed that in fact the cosmos was moving
apart from some source, he thought that was a mistake: so he added a
fudge factor - what he called the cosmological constant, a way of
balancing the force of gravity. Later, he was to call the cosmological
constant the biggest mistake of his life. Astronomers started to prove,
almost before the ink dried on his equations, that galaxies were flying
apart, and the cosmos was in fact expanding from some point in space.
But now there's new evidence about that expansion rate - one that shows
that Einstein may have been right after all.
Links:
NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)homepage
CNN - Scientists stunned to learn universe may be accelerating
Frequently Asked Questions in Cosmology
Space Telescope Science Institute
Official HST site from the astronomical research
center responsible for operating the Hubble Space Telescope as an international
observatory.
Science@NASA
Read articles about space science, earth science and astrology.
Structure and Evolution of the Universe
NASA's quest to understand the Universe:
its evolution, structure and ultimate fate.
The Nine Planets
Take a multimedia tour of the solar system, while learning about the history, mythology, and current scientific knowledge of each of the planets and moons.
NASA's Earth Observatory
Explore with scientists the causes and effects of climatic and environmental change through the use of real satellite data.
Books:
 The Awakening of Intelligence
by: Jiddu Krishnamurti 1987
An introduction to the teachings of spiritual philosopher J. Krishnamurti.
 Einstein's Greatest Blunder?
by: Donald Goldsmith 1997
This book, by the award-winning science writer Donald Goldsmith, takes on key questions about the origin and evolution of the cosmos. By clearly laying out what we currently know about the universe as a whole, Goldsmith lets us see firsthand whether modern cosmology is in a state of crisis
 God's Equation: Einstein, Relativity, and the Expanding Universe
by: Amir D. Aczel 2003
Amir D. Aczel looks at the mathematics behind Einstein's grand theories.
 Beyond Einstein: The Cosmic Quest for the Theory of the Universe
by: Michio Kaku 2004
A "physicists' biography of a physicist."
 Einstein's Dream: The Search for a Unified Theory of the Universe
by: Barry R. Parker 2000
Physicist and popular science writer Barry Parker speaks to the broadest possible audience in bringing Einstein's theories to life.
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