Our Solar System and Galaxy Not a Plot of Prime Real Estate

Our solar system and galaxy do not represent any sort of prime real estate, a new study found. 

Researchers from Dartmouth University say they have ruled out several theories regarding the nature of the universe in a study published in the journal Physical Review D. Among them is that our planet, solar system and galaxy are at the center of the universe.

In the 1990s, scientists uncovered evidence that the expansion is speeding up, earning a Nobel Prize for the discovery in 2011.

The reasons behind this acceleration are not clear, though scientists have offered several theories, one of which focuses on dark energy, a mysterious and new substance believed to make up nearly three-fourths of the universe's energy. Another posits that the solar system and Milky Way galaxy are located at the center of the universe, violating the assumption that the universe has no center. Still, this concept is appealing to some as, unlike the other theory, it demands no new laws of physics.

According to the researchers, however, their new study effectively rules out this second option. Together they calculated how the glow left over from the Big Bang, known as the Cosmic Microwave Background, would be affected, with the results indicating that the theory's prediction does not match up with reality.

"Essentially, we held a mirror up to the universe and asked if the reflection was special," said Robert Caldwell, a professor of physics and astronomy who co-wrote the article with undergraduate physics major Nina Maksimova.

"The reflection shows that we do not appear to live in a special location, and decisively excludes this explanation for the universe's accelerating expansion. It would be a great relief to be able to understand a basic problem of cosmology within the known laws of physics," he admits, "but our research is an important step in explaining the physics responsible for the cosmic acceleration."