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Supernova Standard-Candle Hubble Diagram

Plot Type Ia standard-candle supernovae on a distance-vs-redshift diagram and compare constant, decelerating and accelerating cosmic-expansion predictions with the real observed data.

Space & Astronomy3DModerate60 FPS

This simulator plots Type Ia "standard candle" supernovae on a distance-vs-redshift diagram and overlays three competing predictions for the universe's expansion history: a constant expansion rate, a decelerating rate (gravity slowing things down), and an accelerating rate (dark energy speeding things up). The plotted observed data — with realistic scatter — sits systematically along the accelerating curve, appearing dimmer and farther away than a constant or decelerating universe would predict, mirroring the actual 1998 discovery that the universe's expansion is speeding up. Toggle each curve, resample the supernova catalogue, and click any point to read its redshift alongside its predicted distance under all three scenarios and its actual observed distance.

⚙ Under the hood

Plot Type Ia standard-candle supernovae on a distance-vs-redshift diagram, toggle constant, decelerating and accelerating expansion-history predictions, and see how the real observed data matches the accelerating curve — the evidence for dark energy.

dark energysupernovastandard candleredshiftHubble diagramcosmic expansioncosmology

3D · Three.js / WebGL renderer · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install