02 February, 1998. Measurements of the average density of the Universe, even considering dark matter, have consistently shown that Omega (the ratio of the density divided by the density needed to close the Universe) is well under 1 and that the Universe might be open. Inflationary Big Bang theory, however, has strongly suggested that Omega is actually 1. New measurements of the expansion rate of the Universe using distant supernovae are now showing that the Universe is not decelerating as quickly as it would if Omega were 1 and that the Universe is probably open. The results help reconcile the difference between the ages of the globular clusters (now lower than once thought) and the age of the Universe (now greater than once thought). The Universe may be some 15 billion years old and forever expanding.