Why Cosmologists Believe the Universe is Accelerating

TL;DR

This paper explains how the 1998 discovery of the universe's acceleration, supported by supernova measurements, completed the cosmological puzzle and convinced cosmologists of its validity.

Contribution

It clarifies why the 1998 evidence for acceleration was compelling and how it integrated into the existing cosmological framework.

Findings

The 1998 supernova data indicated an accelerating universe.

The discovery completed the cosmological model puzzle.

It strengthened confidence in the universe's acceleration evidence.

Abstract

Theoretical cosmologists were quick to be convinced by the evidence presented in 1998 for the accelerating Universe. I explain how this remarkable discovery was the missing piece in the grand cosmological puzzle. When found, it fit perfectly. For cosmologists, this added extra weight to the strong evidence of the SN Ia measurements themselves, making the result all the more believable.