Centre of the Universe

[jimmy p]

Following a thread that was started a while back about the universe, ive just been thinking. If the universe is infinite, how is it that scientists know how far away from the centre of the universe we are?

I ask annoying (and probably basic) questions at the moment because im trying to build universal knowledge for the course i wanna do at uni (university of Reading (pron. Redding) - Physics and the universe) so [6)] u have to help me!!! lol...well not have to but any help would be amazing!

thanx

Jimmy

[mathman]

how is it that scientists know how far away from the centre of the universe we are?
Where did you get the idea that the universe has a center?

[photon]

Because physicists are actually thinking the universe is finite.

[photon]

Where did you get the idea that the universe has a center?
Interesting. Thinking the universe is an irregular shape?

[Integral]

how is it that scientists know how far away from the centre of the universe we are?

It is impossible to define a center of the universe under the current theories. So as far as I know we do not know how far from the center of the universe we are. Arguments could be made for being at the center, since any point could be considered the center.


You are not thinking about our postion in the galaxy are you?

[jimmy p]

So now physicists think the universe is finite???? a month ago i was told it was more accepted as infinite. ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!![o)] [*(] [:(]

No i remember asking where we were in the universe to my physics teacher a year or two ago and he drew a circle on the board and said that the milky way was somewhere quite off centre.

[jcsd]

Is thought that universe is *probably* infinite, but due to the Copernican cosmological principle, observation and current theory it is thought that the universe has no centre whether it is infiite or finite. If we were to abandon the Coperincan cosmological principle and alot of current theory the centre would be pretty much where we are now, perhaps the teacher was referring to the Milky way's place in some larger structure like our local group, etc.

[Phobos]

AFAIK, the majority of cosmologists still believe that the universe is infinite (or at least boundless) and that there is no center or edge to 3D space.

I don't think that recent news story about a finite universe structure has been accepted by the mainstream yet.