Supernovae and dark energy

Astronomers have begun to measure the fundamental parameters of cosmology through the observation of very distant Type la supernovae. Over the past decade more than 300 spectroscopically confirmed high-redshift supernovae have been discovered. These supernovae are used as standardized candles to measure the history of the expansion of the universe. Under the current standard model for cosmology these measurements indicate the presence of a heretofore unknown dark energy causing a recent acceleration in the expansion of the universe. At this time supernova measurements of the cosmological parameters are no longer limited by statistical uncertainties, rather systematic uncertainties are the dominant source of error. These include the effects of evolution (further back in time do the supernovae behave the same way?), the effect of intergalactic dust on the brightness of the supernovae and the relationship between supernovae and their environments. Here I present exciting new developments in the field of cosmology using Type II-P supernovae as standardized candles and the prospect of using them to independently measure the cosmological parameters.