s / M pc ▁instead ▁of ▁the ▁true ▁value ▁of ▁approximately ▁ 7 0   km / s / M pc . ▁The ▁higher ▁value ▁meant ▁that ▁an ▁expand ing ▁universe ▁would ▁have ▁an ▁age ▁of ▁ 2 ▁billion ▁years ▁( you ng er ▁than ▁the ▁Age ▁of ▁the ▁Earth ) ▁and ▁ext rap ol ating ▁the ▁observed ▁number ▁density ▁of ▁galaxies ▁to ▁a ▁rapidly ▁expand ing ▁universe ▁imp lied ▁a ▁mass ▁density ▁that ▁was ▁too ▁high ▁by ▁a ▁similar ▁factor , ▁enough ▁to ▁force ▁the ▁universe ▁into ▁a ▁peculiar ▁closed ▁geometry ▁which ▁also ▁imp lied ▁an ▁imp ending ▁Big ▁Cr unch ▁that ▁would ▁occur ▁on ▁a ▁similar ▁time - scale . ▁After ▁fixing ▁these ▁errors ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁the ▁new ▁lower ▁values ▁for ▁the ▁Hub ble ▁Constant ▁accord ed ▁with ▁the ▁expect ations ▁of ▁an ▁older ▁universe ▁and ▁the ▁density ▁parameter ▁was ▁found ▁to ▁be ▁fairly ▁close ▁to ▁a ▁geomet r ically ▁flat ▁universe . ▁ ▁However , ▁recent ▁measurements ▁of ▁the ▁distances ▁and ▁veloc ities ▁of ▁far away ▁galaxies ▁revealed ▁a ▁ 9 ▁percent ▁dis cre p ancy ▁in ▁the ▁value ▁of ▁the ▁Hub ble ▁constant , ▁imp lying ▁a ▁universe ▁that ▁seems ▁expand ing ▁too ▁fast ▁compared ▁to ▁previous ▁measurements . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁Dr . ▁Wend y ▁Fre ed man ▁determined ▁space ▁to ▁expand ▁at ▁ 7 2 ▁kilom eters ▁per ▁second ▁per ▁meg ap ar sec ▁- ▁roughly ▁ 3 . 3 ▁million ▁light ▁years ▁- ▁meaning ▁that