How Universe is expanding faster than speed of light?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of the universe expanding at a rate that appears to exceed the speed of light. Participants explore the implications of this phenomenon, including the relationship between cosmic expansion and the speed of light, as well as concepts like length contraction.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant references a NASA article suggesting that while the universe is expanding faster than the speed of light, this does not imply that anything is overtaking light.
  • Another participant mentions that the phenomenon is related to the metric used to describe the universe's expansion, indicating that coordinates are not constrained in the same way as physical objects.
  • A participant questions whether this superluminal expansion is occurring in the physical world, seeking clarification on the implications of such a concept.
  • Additional resources are provided by participants to explain misconceptions about superluminal recession, including links to articles that delve into the topic further.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying levels of understanding and acceptance of the concept of superluminal expansion, with some seeking clarification and others providing explanations. The discussion does not reach a consensus on the implications of this phenomenon.

Contextual Notes

Participants acknowledge the complexity of the topic, including the need for a deeper understanding of the underlying physics and the potential misconceptions surrounding the idea of expansion exceeding the speed of light.

SecretOfnumber
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Hi Guys ,

Just read this at The NASA site:

http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/ask_astro/answers/070904a.html

""Q ...My question is if the universe is accelerating, eventually should it not reach a speed faster than the speed of light? Has anyone investigated the question as to what will happen if the expansion of the universe breaks the light speed barrier?

The Answer

A :Thanks for your question. It is true that nothing can go faster than the speed of light. And it is also true that our universe is expanding faster than the speed of light today. This sounds like a contradiction, but..."""

Could some one explain this to me please ?perhaps a little about length contraction... !sorry I just don't get it!

Cheers,:confused:
 
Space news on Phys.org
Its a metric thing. Coordinates on the graph paper are not constrained.
 
Thanks ,I guess I know what you mean, but does this is "actually "is happening in a physical world?
 

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