Observational Evidence of the Accelerated Expansion of the Universe

TL;DR

This paper reviews observational evidence from supernovae, galaxies, clusters, and the cosmic microwave background that collectively support the conclusion that the universe's expansion is accelerating.

Contribution

It compiles and discusses recent observational data and future prospects confirming the accelerated expansion of the universe.

Findings

Multiple independent observations support cosmic acceleration

Type Ia supernovae appear dimmer than expected in a decelerating universe

Upcoming projects will improve measurement accuracy

Abstract

The discovery of cosmic acceleration is one of the most important developments in modern cosmology. The observation, thirteen years ago, that type Ia supernovae appear dimmer that they would have been in a decelerating universe followed by a series of independent observations involving galaxies and cluster of galaxies as well as the cosmic microwave background, all point in the same direction: we seem to be living in a flat universe whose expansion is currently undergoing an acceleration phase. In this paper, we review the various observational evidences, most of them gathered in the last decade, and the improvements expected from projects currently collecting data or in preparation.