Rare supernova from 10 billion years ago may reveal the secret of dark energy

Astronomers discover an exceptionally bright supernova whose light was bent and magnified by a foreground galaxy, providing a new clue about the mysterious force driving the universe's expansion.

Mar. 17, 2026 at 3:50am

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Astronomers have discovered an unusually bright supernova from more than 10 billion years ago whose light was bent and magnified by a foreground galaxy through gravitational lensing. This allows scientists to effectively watch different moments of the same cosmic explosion simultaneously, which could provide valuable insights into the nature of dark energy - the unknown force believed to be driving the accelerating expansion of the universe.

Why it matters

Dark energy is thought to account for about 68% of the universe, but scientists still do not fully understand what it is or how it shapes the growth of the cosmos. Observations of this gravitationally lensed supernova could help resolve a major puzzle about the universe's expansion rate, known as the 'Hubble Tension', and potentially reveal new clues about the nature of dark energy.

The details

The supernova's light was bent and magnified by the gravity of a galaxy positioned directly between Earth and the distant explosion, creating multiple images of the same event. Because the light traveled along different paths to reach Earth, each image represents the supernova at a slightly different moment in its evolution. By precisely measuring the time delays between these images, astronomers hope to gain new insights into the expansion rate of the universe and the role of dark energy.

  • The supernova occurred more than 10 billion years ago.
  • The supernova was first detected by the Zwicky Transient Facility in California in 2026.

The players

Dr. Daniel Perley

A reader in astrophysics at Liverpool John Moores University who is part of the research team studying the supernova.

Jacob Wise

A PhD student at the Astrophysics Research Institute who first recognized the importance of the gravitationally lensed supernova.

Zwicky Transient Facility

A ground-based telescope in California that was the first to detect the supernova.

Liverpool Telescope

A telescope in La Palma that was the first to observe the multiple images of the supernova, proving it was gravitationally lensed.

Keck Telescopes

Powerful observatories in Hawaii that were used to study the supernova in greater detail.

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What they’re saying

“No one has found a supernova like this before, and the nature of the system means it may be able to help solve some big problems in astrophysics such as the nature of the force that drives the expansion of the universe.”

— Dr. Daniel Perley, Reader in Astrophysics, Liverpool John Moores University

“We are seeing the light from this distant supernova split into multiple images, what we call 'gravitationally lensed'.”

— Jacob Wise, PhD Student, Astrophysics Research Institute

“What's exciting about that is that the amount of time difference between different images depends on the expansion rate of the universe.”

— Dr. Daniel Perley, Reader in Astrophysics, Liverpool John Moores University

What’s next

The research team plans to measure the time delays between the multiple images of the supernova with high precision, which could reveal how quickly the universe is expanding and provide insight into the nature of dark energy.

The takeaway

This rare, gravitationally lensed supernova from the early universe represents an exciting new opportunity for astronomers to study the mysterious dark energy that is driving the accelerating expansion of the cosmos and potentially resolve a longstanding debate about the Hubble constant.