A collaboration between researchers from the ICCUB and the Imperial College of London were able to measure for the first time, the standard distance of the Universe using direct observational data.

Up to date, it was only possible to infer this distance through theoretical calculus which incorporate Einstein's general relativity theory. This first direct measurement obtained does not involve such theory, just some basic ideas about symmetries and the expansion of the universe, which are enough for modelizing the clear physics of the universe at very early stages.
For making the measurement, researchers have based on observations of supernova's intensity and also on the mass distribution (accoustic baryonic oscillations) of the universe.

Making direct measurements is of primordial importance in cosmology, since these will remain true evethough theories can change over time.