Is the Universe Really Flat and What Lies Above or Below the Earth?

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    Flat Universe
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of whether the universe is "flat" and the implications of this idea, particularly in relation to the arrangement of celestial bodies and the existence of anything above or below the Earth. Participants explore both theoretical and observational aspects of cosmic structure.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions the flatness of the universe, suggesting that celestial bodies appear to be at the same "level" and wonders about the existence of anything above or below the Earth.
  • Another participant argues that the universe is not flat in the sense described, explaining that planets and stars orbit in a plane due to the collapse of gas and dust clouds during formation, leading to a homogenous distribution of galaxies at large scales.
  • A different viewpoint proposes that galaxies might align around a central mass beyond our current understanding, suggesting that if the universe is infinite, it could be flat, while a finite universe might have a one-third chance of being flat.
  • One participant expresses skepticism about the likelihood of galaxies aligning around something beyond our comprehension, labeling such an idea as nonsense.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the flatness of the universe, with some proposing that it could be infinite and flat, while others challenge the plausibility of certain alignments and the implications of cosmic structure. The discussion remains unresolved with multiple competing perspectives.

Contextual Notes

Participants rely on various assumptions regarding the nature of the universe, including its potential finiteness or infiniteness, and the implications of these assumptions on the concept of flatness. There are also unresolved questions about the definitions and interpretations of cosmic alignment.

Erik B
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Is the universe "flat" ?

I am only casually interested in astronomy so its rather difficult for me to articulate my thoughts, but I will try my best. Consider me a layman and please accordingly use layman's terms if possible when you write your answer. When I see planetary systems, galaxies etc. depicted all objects in the systems appear to be at the same... um.. altitude (I know that that is a terrible word to describe it but as I said its difficult for me to articulate this) and everything is on the same "level". That is what i mean by the question Is the universe "flat". If so, why is this ? Is there anything above or below the Earth? for instance if i was to take a spacecraft and fly directly upwards from the north pole or directly downwards from the south pole?
 
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The universe is far from flat in this sense. Planets and other major bodies typically orbit stars in approximately the same "plane" (the word you were looking for) because it is a result of the way the gas and dust clouds collapse during the formation of stellar systems. If we look far out into space we see many many different galaxies spread out in every direction, up and down, from one side to the other approximately equally. We refer to this as the universe being "homogenous" at the largest scale.

See this thread for more information: https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=417310
 


planets align in a plane around sun so does stars around settled galaxies ,considering that sequence, galaxies might be in an alignment around something that lies far beyond the horizon of our comprehension of cosmic neighborhood .and it is logical to extend our thoughts in this manner.local movements of galaxies may not be in direct correlation to that central mass considering the mere distance


→if universe is infinite it would be flat
→if universe is finite , flatness have 1/3 chance

i'd say universe is infinite and flat
 


urmother said:
... galaxies might be in an alignment around something that lies far beyond the horizon of our comprehension of cosmic neighborhood

It is possible, but unlikely, for something like this to happen with galactic clusters, but for it to happen
beyond the horizon of our comprehension
is just nonsense
 

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