Scientists are homing in on the nature of a mysterious force called dark energy, and nothing short of the fate of the universe hangs in the balance.

The new findings come from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), which sits on a telescope at the Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona.

New data involving millions of galaxies and luminous galactic cores is providing fresh evidence that the enigmatic and invisible cosmic force called dark energy - responsible for the universe's accelerated expansion - has weakened over time rather than remaining constant,