The Origin of the Universe

A survey of the evidence

Introduction
Measurement Overview
    Parallax Distances
    Star Sizes and Absolute Magnitudes
    Cepheid Distances
    Type 1a Supernovae Distances
    Redshift Velocities and Distances
    Age of the Stars in Globular Clusters
    The Oldest White Dwarfs
    The Cosmic Microwave Background
Conclusion

Type 1a supernova explosions are extraordinarily bright outbursts, visible across the universe. The processes involved are well understood. All Type 1a supernovae have the same brightness. The frequent occurrences of these fixed brightness outbursts have allowed us to measure far beyond the Cepheid distance limit. Astronomers have detected hundreds of Type 1a supernovae and measured distances to their galaxies, out to distances of billions of years.