High School Demystifying the Hubble Constant

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the Hubble Constant, highlighting conflicting measurements: 67.66 (+/- 0.42) from the Planck Mission and 73.45 (+/- 1.66) from the Hubble Space Telescope. Theoretical calculations suggest a Hubble Constant of 70.409 km/s based on dividing the universe's age of 13.8 billion light years by 3.26 million megaparsecs. However, a critical correction is noted regarding the maximum observable distance, which is approximately 47 billion light years, due to the universe's expansion. Additionally, the correct speed of light is confirmed as 299,792.458 km/s, not 298,051 km/s.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of the Hubble Constant and its significance in cosmology
  • Familiarity with the concepts of megaparsecs and light years
  • Knowledge of the speed of light and its role in astronomical calculations
  • Basic principles of general relativity and spacetime curvature
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the latest measurements and methodologies for determining the Hubble Constant
  • Explore the implications of cosmic expansion on observable universe limits
  • Study the differences between flat and curved spacetime in cosmology
  • Learn about the Planck Mission and its contributions to cosmological data
USEFUL FOR

Astronomers, astrophysicists, and students of cosmology seeking to understand the complexities of the Hubble Constant and its implications for the universe's expansion.

MikeinSpain
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This year alone we have conflicting speeds for the Hubble Constant with 67.66 (+ or - 0.42) from the Planck Mission and 73.45 (+ or - 1.66) from the Hubble Space Telescope.

The answer is simply found, and is between those figures.

The furthest thing we can see (in theory) is 13.8 billion light years away, the Universe being that old.

Divide 13.8 billion light years into one million megaparsec sections, as that is how the Hubble Constant is measured and you get 13.8 billion divided by 3.26 million equals just over 4,233.

The speed of light in kms is 298,051 kms/sec which is the apparent speed of expansion at 13.8 billion light years from us. Divide that by 4,233 and you get a Hubble Constant of 70.409 kms/sec for expansion.
 
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MikeinSpain said:
The furthest thing we can see (in theory) is 13.8 billion light years away, the Universe being that old.

No, this is not correct. The furthest thing we can see is about 47 billion light-years away. It has moved away from us all the time that the light it emitted 13.8 billion years ago was traveling to us, due to the universe expanding. This means that the simple relationship you are assuming between light travel time and distance does not hold (it only holds in flat spacetime, and the spacetime describing the universe as a whole is not flat).

MikeinSpain said:
The speed of light in kms is 298,051 kms/sec

Huh? This is not the correct number; the correct number is 299,792.458 km/s.

The rest of your post appears to be personal speculation based on the above mistake. Please review the PF rules on personal speculations.

Thread closed.
 
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I always thought it was odd that we know dark energy expands our universe, and that we know it has been increasing over time, yet no one ever expressed a "true" size of the universe (not "observable" universe, the ENTIRE universe) by just reversing the process of expansion based on our understanding of its rate through history, to the point where everything would've been in an extremely small region. The more I've looked into it recently, I've come to find that it is due to that "inflation"...

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