But Melott said scientists think there is just enough mass to stop the expansion. About 10 hydrogen atoms per cubic yard. As the galaxies continue to expand from the big bang, that movement can be detected by a shift to red in the spectra of light being detected by astronomers, Melott said. One method to determine the universe's mass is to eliminate the red-shift effect. After that is removed, further changes in light spectra due to movement are because of gravity from surrounding bodies.
Gravity is created by the mass of a planet, star or other celestial body.
Those changes will even account for the presence of dark matter, unseen matter indicated by astronomical evidence but not yet proven to exist. Melott will be working on the project with Hume Feldman, an assistant professor of physics and astronomy. He and Feldman are not packing the grant money in their bank accounts, Melott said. He receives a small portion of it as summer salary. Most of the money will help finance computer equipment to run the models of the universe, each of which will have a slightly different mass for the universe.