Biography
Saul Perlmutter led the Supernova Cosmology Project, one of two teams using distant Type Ia supernovae as standard candles to measure the history of cosmic expansion. In 1998 they found the universe is not slowing down but speeding up — driven by a mysterious 'dark energy'. He shared the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics.
Scientific contributions
- Led the Supernova Cosmology Project
- Co-discovered the accelerating expansion of the universe (1998)
- Shared the Nobel Prize in Physics (2011)
Major discoveries
Awards
Knowledge connections
- Part ofContemporary Astronomy
- ReceivedNobel Prize in Physics
- DiscoveredThe Accelerating Universe
- StudiesDark Energy
Sources & references
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- The Nobel PrizeThe Nobel Foundation
Official record of Nobel laureates, prize motivations, and award years.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.