'Cannibal stars,' AI and the Rubin Observatory could shed light on the mystery of dark energy. Here's how

A blue-white orb has an orange ring around it. That ring is connected via dust to a reddish orange orb on the right.

Using artificial intelligence and data from the groundbreaking Vera C. Rubin Observatory, scientists are reconsidering our knowledge of "standard candles" in the cosmos. These are objects that result from explosions provoked by dead stars that act like cannibals — and they help us measure distances across the universe.

These standard candles are also called Type 1a supernovas, and their distance-measuring role is integral to measuring the rate at which the universe is expanding. This means they're also integral in our understanding of how this expansion is accelerating due to the effect of dark energy, the mysterious force helping to push our cosmos apart in every direction.