The expansion of the universe is a phenomenon wherein, at scales much larger than galaxies, the distance between objects grows over time. This phenomenon is often described as "expansion of space", although there is no difference between space expanding and objects moving apart.
Questions tagged [space-expansion]
2056 questions
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Why does space expansion not expand matter?
I have looked at other questions on this site (e.g. "why does space expansion affect matter") but can't find the answer I am looking for.
So here is my question: One often hears talk of space expanding when we talk about the speed of galaxies…
SoulmanZ
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Why isn't an infinite, flat, nonexpanding universe filled with a uniform matter distribution a solution to Einstein's equation?
In Newtonian gravity, an infinite volume filled with a uniform distribution of mass would be in perfect equilibrium. At every point, the gravitational forces contributed by masses in one direction would be exactly counterbalanced by those in the…
D. Halsey
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Can space expand with unlimited speed?
According to this article on the European Space Agency web site just after the Big Bang and before inflation the currently observable universe was the size of a coin. One millionth of a second later the universe was the size of the Solar System,…
cziko
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Why is the observable universe so big?
The observable universe is approximately 13.7 billion years old. But yet it is 80 billion light years across. Isn't this a contradiction?
Thomas O
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Redshifting of Light and the expansion of the universe
So I have learned in class that light can get red-shifted as it travels through space. As I understand it, space itself expands and stretches out the wavelength of the light. This results in the light having a lower frequency which equates to…
QEntanglement
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Is space really expanding?
In a book called "Einstein, Relativity and Absolute Simultaneity" there was this sentence by Smith:
There is no observational evidence for a space expansion hypothesis. What is observed are superclusters of clusters of galaxies receding from each…
user311398
32
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6 answers
If spacetime itself is expanding, how could we ever tell?
If space is the measured distance between 2 objects, then saying the space expanded is nonsensical unless we have a measuring stick outside of the space fabric to measure the expansion. 2 objects moving away from themselves isn't the same as space…
Mike S
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Why haven't we seen the big bang?
The Andromeda galaxy is 2,538,000 light years away, so if we view Andromeda from a telescope, we see Andromeda how it was 2,538,000 years ago. Now the diameter of the visible universe is 92 billion light years so if we say that we are at the center…
Bhavesh
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If the universe is expanding, what is it expanding into?
If the universe is expanding, what is it expanding into?
When the big bang happened where did it occur?
When the big bang happened how did it occur?
Where did the energy come from? Energy can not be created or destroyed does that mean, energy has…
raklos
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2 answers
Why is the Cosmic Microwave Background evidence of a hotter, denser early universe?
In his book Gravitation and Cosmology, Steven Weinberg says that the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) makes it "difficult to doubt that the universe has evolved from a hotter, denser early stage".
In my understanding, CMB is just a peculiar…
Ritesh Singh
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What is the theoretical limit for farthest we can see back in time and distance?
13.2 billion years ago the universe was rather small, having started only half a billion years ago. Today, with the help of Hubble Space Telescope, we are able to capture the light of galaxies emitted at that time.
The point at which Earth exists…
Ankur
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4 answers
How did the universe shift from "dark matter dominated" to "dark energy dominated"?
In order to get dark energy to dominate, wouldn't you first need another form of energy to push the expansion until dark energy could dominate? Otherwise I don't understand how the universe could shift from having a decelerating expansion to an…
user43783
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26
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7 answers
Why did the universe not collapse to a black hole shortly after the big bang?
Wasn't the density of the universe at the moment after the Big Bang so great as to create a black hole? If the answer is that the universe/space-time can expand anyway what does it imply about what our universe looks like from the outside?
pferrel
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How can the universe expand if there is gravitation?
We live in an expanding universe - so I'm told. But how can that be possible? Everything imaginable is attracted by a bigger thing. So, why can't gravitation stop the expansion of the universe? I know the "Big Bang" theory, but is it possible that…
blackcornail
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How does the Hubble parameter change with the age of the universe?
How does the Hubble parameter change with the age of the universe?
This question was posted recently, and I had almost finished writing an answer when the question was deleted. Since it's a shame to waste the effort here's the answer anyway.
Maybe…
John Rennie
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