See the Light of Creation: Viewing the Big Bang

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the concept of observing light from the Big Bang and the implications of the speed of light in relation to the expansion of the universe. Participants explore theoretical possibilities and address misconceptions regarding the nature of the Big Bang and the visibility of its light.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants mention that light from the Big Bang could theoretically be observed if one could look far enough into space, raising questions about how we perceive this light given our distance from the event.
  • It is noted that light was emitted about 380,000 years after the Big Bang, and that we currently see light from increasingly distant regions of space over time.
  • A participant suggests that a neutrino telescope could potentially observe conditions closer to the time of the Big Bang, but emphasizes that photons emitted before 380,000 years after the event cannot be seen due to the opacity of space at that time.
  • Another participant raises a concern regarding the implications of the speed of light and the expansion of the universe, questioning how we could see light from the Big Bang if we are moving away from it faster than light.
  • A counterpoint is made that there is no specific "point of the Big Bang," challenging the notion presented in earlier comments and suggesting further reading on the topic.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the nature of the Big Bang and the implications of light speed in relation to cosmic expansion. There is no consensus on the explanations provided, and the discussion remains unresolved.

Contextual Notes

Some statements rely on specific interpretations of cosmological principles, and there are unresolved assumptions regarding the nature of space and time during the early universe.

arj67
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I've heard it stated on popular TV science programs that light from the big bang could seen if we could look far enough into empty space. How could we get where we are before the light from the process that created us?
 
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That light was emitted almost simultaneously at every point in space, about 380000 years after the big bang. Right now we're seing the light that was emitted a specific distance from us. Tomorrow, we'll see the light that was emitted a little bit further away.
 
A neutrino telescope could theoretically peer back to nearly the time of the big event itself. Building such an instrument is a challenge. We will, however, never see photons emitted sooner than about 380.000 years after the big bang. Space was opaque to photons prior to that time.
 
The comments are interesting, but the question has to do with the speed of light and the speed at which the material that made up our solar system moved away from the point of the big bang. We are at some distance from the point of the big bang and we must have traveled faster than the speed of light if we could now see the light from the process that created us 14 to 20 billion years ago. Is there some other explanation?
 
arj67 said:
We are at some distance from the point of the big bang
This is incorrect. There is no "point of the big bang". I have written some comments about that in other posts. I suggest you start with this one, and then read the ones I'm linking to in the quote near the end.

This is a direct link to the article I'm mentioning there.
 

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