No, Dark Energy Isn't An Illusion

In 1998, two teams of scientists announced a shocking discovery: the expansion of the Universe was accelerating. Distant galaxies weren't just receding from us, but their recession speed was increasing over time. Over the next few years, precision measurements of three independent quantities -- distant galaxies containing type Ia supernovae, the fluctuation pattern in the cosmic microwave background, and large-scale correlations between galaxies at a variety of distances -- all supported and confirmed this picture. The leading explanation? That there's a new form of energy inherent to space itself: dark energy. The case is so strong that no one reasonably doubts the evidence, but many teams have made alternative cases for the explanation, claiming that dark energy itself could be an illusion.