Question About Light From the Big Bang

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  • Thread starter Thread starter Jorge G.
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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the cosmic microwave background (CMB), which is the remnant radiation from the Big Bang, emitted approximately 380,000 years after the event. Participants clarify that while light cannot travel faster than the speed of light, the expansion of space itself can occur at superluminal speeds, allowing CMB photons to reach Earth long after their emission. This phenomenon explains how we can observe light from the Big Bang today, despite the vast distances involved.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of cosmic microwave background (CMB)
  • Familiarity with the Big Bang theory
  • Basic knowledge of the expansion of the universe
  • Concept of superluminal velocities in cosmology
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  • Research the properties and significance of cosmic microwave background radiation
  • Study the implications of the Big Bang theory on modern cosmology
  • Explore the concept of space expansion and its effects on light propagation
  • Learn about the physics of superluminal expansion and its role in cosmology
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Astronomy enthusiasts, physics students, and anyone interested in understanding the origins of the universe and the nature of cosmic radiation.

Jorge G.
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I was watching a video on Youtube about the Big Bang, and they said something that I did not understand. They said light from the big bang can still be seen from the Earth in the form of microwaves. I understand, however, that nothing travels faster than light. So how did our Earth come to its point in space before light reached that point?

I am clearly a newbie, sorry.
 
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They are talking about the cosmic microwave background [CMB] which was emitted from the surface of last scattering about 380,000 years after the big bang. Prior to that time photons could not travel freely throughout the universe. Due to the expansion of the universe those photons are just now catching up with us. While ordinary matter is forbidden from traveling at superluminal velocities, space is not forbidden from expanding superluminally.
 
Thank you, Chronos!
 

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