The Accelerating Universe

Abstract

In this article we review the discovery of the accelerating universe using type Ia supernovae. We then outline ways in which dark energy - component that causes the acceleration - is phenomenologically described. We finally describe principal cosmological techniques to measure large-scale properties of dark energy. This chapter complements other articles in this book that describe theoretical understanding (or lack thereof) of the cause for the accelerating universe.Comment: Invited review chapter for book "Adventures in Cosmology" (ed. D. Goodstein) aimed at general scientists; 28 pages, 10 figure