Question regarding the expanding universe

In summary, the Big Bang occurred at a high speed and there is no constant speed at which galaxies are traveling. The theory is that the universe is constantly expanding and galaxies should eventually be slowed down by the gravity of other galaxies until everything is pulled back to the site of the Big Bang. There are various theories as to what force is causing this expansion, with dark energy being the most prevalent. It is not possible to measure the exact location or time of the Big Bang as it occurred everywhere and from it came space and time. However, observational cosmology is attempting to estimate the age of the universe by measuring the speed and changes in motion of galaxies. The presence of dark matter may also affect the ultimate fate of the universe.
  • #1
Tage
7
0
When Big Bang occurred everything was thrown in different directions at high speeds.
Is this speed constant or are the speed at which galaxies travel slowing down?
Since the general theory seems to be that Big Bang is a neverending procedure, galaxies should be slowed down by the gravity of the galaxies going the other way until everything gets pulled back to where the big bang occurs.
Is there a flaw in my reasoning?
If not, would it not be possible to measure how much galaxies are slowed down, and in that case predict where the site of big bang is located and even calculate the time when this will occur?

Thankfull for answers.

/Tage
 
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  • #2
Tage said:
When Big Bang occurred everything was thrown in different directions at high speeds.
Is this speed constant or are the speed at which galaxies travel slowing down?
Neither. Speeding up.

Tage said:
Since the general theory seems to be that Big Bang is a neverending procedure, galaxies should be slowed down by the gravity of the galaxies going the other way until everything gets pulled back to where the big bang occurs.
Is there a flaw in my reasoning?
No more so than Einstein's. There are various theories as to what force is overcoming gravity. When it's done and dusted, it'll hit the major news stations.

Tage said:
If not, would it not be possible to measure how much galaxies are slowed down, and in that case predict where the site of big bang is located and even calculate the time when this will occur?
/Tage
The big bang did not occur in any particular space that exists now. From the big bang came space and time, so all of the space in the universe now comes from the big bang. It kind of happened everywhere.
 
  • #3
What causes galaxies to speed up?
 
  • #4
As I said, there are various theories and I know little about most of them, and nothing about some of them no doubt. Dark energy is, I think, still the most prevalent theory but I generally turn off when people talk about something that hasn't been detected that explains it all away... Google it and see what you find.
 
  • #5
Tage said:
If not, would it not be possible to measure how much galaxies are slowed down, and in that case predict where the site of big bang is located and even calculate the time when this will occur?

As El Hombre said, there is no "where" for the Big Bang, but what you're describing is very similar to what we've been trying to do in observational cosmology. Basically, if we can measure how fast the galaxies are moving from one another and how quickly this motion is changing, we can get an estimate of the age of the universe.
 
  • #6
If the universe had 4 Hydrogen atoms or over per cubic meter, it would reach a crucial value where inevitably all of the matter would start collapsing back on itself (Like if you reverse Time of the expansion of the universe). Though this sounds like a small value, the known universe is nowhere near this value. The Earth and the solar system have a lot of mass involved, as more so with galaxies. But most of the universe is empty area with galaxies seperating, so it all equals itself out.

However, there is a theory of Dark Matter which for some reason doesn't interact with photons as we would normally expect matter to. If the theory is true, the universe has enough mass to go way beyond this crucial value, which in this case would cause the universe to stop expanding, and to reverse into the "big crunch" after so much time.

I think this is what I've heard anyway.
 

1. What is the expanding universe?

The expanding universe refers to the observation that galaxies and other objects in space are moving away from each other at increasing speeds. This suggests that the universe is expanding in all directions.

2. How do scientists know that the universe is expanding?

Scientists have observed the redshift of light from distant galaxies, which indicates that they are moving away from us. This, along with other evidence such as the cosmic microwave background radiation, supports the theory of an expanding universe.

3. What is causing the universe to expand?

The exact cause of the universe's expansion is still unknown, but scientists believe that it is driven by a mysterious force called dark energy. This force is thought to make up about 70% of the total energy in the universe.

4. Is the expansion of the universe accelerating?

Yes, the expansion of the universe is accelerating. This was first discovered by observing distant supernovae in the late 1990s. It is believed that dark energy is the driving force behind this acceleration.

5. Will the expansion of the universe ever stop?

It is currently unknown if the expansion of the universe will ever stop. The fate of the universe depends on the amount of dark energy and the overall geometry of the universe. If dark energy continues to accelerate the expansion, the universe may continue to expand forever. However, if the amount of dark energy decreases, the expansion may eventually slow down and stop, or even reverse.

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