How did the universe get started?
“At its most fundamental level, the universe is governed by the laws of quantum mechanics,” said Lipman, leader of the Boulder firm developing quantum technology to freeze individual atoms to near-absolute zero, a point at which they produce minimal vibration.
How the universe came to be?
In short, science and the Bible agree that the universe came to be via natural means: forces of nature acting on particles over time, forming all the structures we see, including our sun and planet. However, the Bible asserts that the first instant—when time, space, forces, and particles appeared—is not explainable by the scientific method.
Where did the universe come from?
“Everyone come together and work as a team ... giving us a glimpse at the earliest days of our universe, while capturing breathtaking images never before seen by a human eye.
What is the origin of the universe?
Throughout human history, there have been many theories about the universe's birth — the origins of the cosmos date back almost 14 billion years. And as technology has improved, so have the theories on how it all began.
How did the universe begin from nothing?
Virtually all astronomers now believe that the universe sprang forth in what is known as the "Big Bang" explosion, from a state of extraordinary compression and phenomenally high temperature in which forces such as gravity and electromagnetism were unified in a single, all-encompassing force.
How was the universe first created?
Our universe began with an explosion of space itself - the Big Bang. Starting from extremely high density and temperature, space expanded, the universe cooled, and the simplest elements formed. Gravity gradually drew matter together to form the first stars and the first galaxies.
What was there before the universe?
In the beginning, there was an infinitely dense, tiny ball of matter. Then, it all went bang, giving rise to the atoms, molecules, stars and galaxies we see today. Or at least, that's what we've been told by physicists for the past several decades.
When did time begin?
approximately 14 billion years agoAccording to the standard big bang model of cosmology, time began together with the universe in a singularity approximately 14 billion years ago.
Who created the world?
Genesis creation narrative The Bible begins with the Book of Genesis, in which God creates the Earth, the rest of the Universe, and the Earth's plants and animals, including the first humans, in six days.
Is time Travelling possible?
Yes, time travel is indeed a real thing. But it's not quite what you've probably seen in the movies. Under certain conditions, it is possible to experience time passing at a different rate than 1 second per second. And there are important reasons why we need to understand this real-world form of time travel.
How many universes are there?
In a new study, Stanford physicists Andrei Linde and Vitaly Vanchurin have calculated the number of all possible universes, coming up with an answer of 10^10^16.
How long will the universe exist?
The universe will cease to exist around the same time our sun is slated to die, according to new predictions based on the multiverse theory. Our universe has existed for nearly 14 billion years, and as far as most people are concerned, the universe should continue to exist for billions of years more.
How long ago was the universe born?
According to the standard Big Bang model, the universe was born during a period of inflation that began about 13.8 billion years ago. Like a rapidly expanding balloon, it swelled from a size smaller than an electron to nearly its current size within a tiny fraction of a second.
What was the universe made of?
Initially, the universe was permeated only by energy. Some of this energy congealed into particles, which assembled into light atoms like hydrogen and helium. These atoms clumped first into galaxies, then stars, inside whose fiery furnaces all the other elements were forged.
What do scientists see when they look up in the sky?
It is a powerful model that explains many of the things scientists see when they look up in the sky, such as the remarkable smoothness of space-time on large scales and the even distribution of galaxies on opposite sides of the universe. But there are things about this story that make some scientists uneasy.
How long ago did the universe begin?
Our universe began in a tremendous explosion known as the Big Bang about 13.7 billion years ago (left side of strip).
What was the first star?
The first stars, called Population III stars (our star is a Population I star), were much bigger and brighter than any in our nearby universe, with masses about 1,000 times that of our sun. These stars first grouped together into mini-galaxies.
What happened after the Big Bang?
By about a few billion years after the Big Bang, the mini-galaxies had merged to form mature galaxies, including spiral galaxies like our own Milky Way. The first quasars ultimately became the centers of powerful galaxies that are more common in the distant universe.
When did the Cosmic Background Explorer win the Nobel Prize?
Results from the Cosmic Background Explorer were honored with the 2006 Nobel Prize for Physics. A period of darkness ensued, until about a few hundred million years later, when the first objects flooded the universe with light.
What did NASA's microwave probe reveal?
Observations by NASA's Cosmic Background Explorer and Wilkinson Anisotropy Microwave Probe revealed microwave light from this very early epoch, about 400,000 years after the Big Bang, providing strong evidence that our universe did blast into existence. Results from the Cosmic Background Explorer were honored with the 2006 Nobel Prize for Physics. ...
What is the theory that the universe has existed for ever?
Perhaps the best known was proposed in 1948. It was called the steady state theory, and it suggested that the universe had existed for ever and would have looked the same at all times. This last property had the great virtue of being a prediction that could be tested, a critical ingredient of the scientific method.
When was the universe dense?
Observational evidence to confirm the idea that the universe had a very dense beginning came in October 1965, with the discovery of a faint background of microwaves throughout space. The only reasonable interpretation is that this “cosmic microwave background” is radiation left over from an early hot and dense state.
How did inflation affect the universe?
Inflation made the universe very large, very smooth and very flat. However, it was not completely smooth: there were tiny variations from place to place. These variations eventually gave rise to galaxies, stars and solar systems. We owe our existence to these variations.
What would happen if Einstein's theory of relativity was correct?
With Roger Penrose of Oxford University, I showed that if Albert Einstein ’s general theory of relativity is correct, then there would be a singularity, a point of infinite density and space-time curvature, where time has a beginning. The universe started off in the Big Bang and expanded quickly.
When was the first scientific evidence discovered?
When it comes to these mysteries of existence, the first scientific evidence was discovered in the 1920s, when Edwin Hubble began to make observations with a telescope on Mount Wilson in California. To his surprise, Hubble found that nearly all the galaxies were moving away from us.
What was the name of the god that vomited up the Sun?
According to the Boshongo people of central Africa, before us there was only darkness, water and the great god Bumba . One day Bumba, in pain from a stomach ache, vomited up the Sun. The Sun evaporated some of the water, leaving land.
What is the origin of the universe?
Origins of the universe, explained. The most popular theory of our universe's origin centers on a cosmic cataclysm unmatched in all of history—the big bang. The best-supported theory of our universe's origin centers on an event known as the big bang. This theory was born of the observation that other galaxies are moving away from our own ...
What was the early universe made of?
Radiation in the early universe was so intense that colliding photons could form pairs of particles made of matter and antimatter, which is like regular matter in every way except with the opposite electrical charge. It's thought that the early universe contained equal amounts of matter and antimatter.
What happened after cosmic inflation?
As time passed and matter cooled, more diverse kinds of particles began to form, and they eventually condensed into the stars and galaxies of our present universe. By the time the universe was a billionth of a second old, the universe had cooled down enough for the four fundamental forces to separate from one another. ...
Why does the universe have such an even temperature?
That model of breakneck expansion, called inflation, may explain why the universe has such an even temperature and distribution of matter. After inflation , the universe continued to expand but at a much slower rate. It's still unclear what exactly powered inflation .
How long after the Big Bang did we have a star?
From the first stars to today. There wasn't a single star in the universe until about 180 million years after the big bang. It took that long for gravity to gather clouds of hydrogen and forge them into stars.
What is the best supported theory of our universe's origin?
Email. The best-supported theory of our universe's origin centers on an event known as the big bang. This theory was born of the observation that other galaxies are moving away from our own at great speed in all directions, as if they had all been propelled by an ancient explosive force. A Belgian priest named Georges Lemaître first suggested ...
What is the name of the galaxy with the spiral arms?
The nickname for this cosmic object—the Sunflower galaxy—is no coincidence: The arrangement of the spiral arms in the galaxy Messier 63 , seen here in an image from the Hubble Space Telescope, recalls the pattern at the center of a sunflower. Photograph by NASA Goddard.
How did the universe expand after the Big Bang?
According to inflation theory, the universe expanded dramatically a tiny fraction of a second after the Big Bang, driven by fantastic quantities of energy contained in space itself. After this period of inflation, the universe continued to expand and cool, but at a far slower pace.
What is the ultimate fate of the universe?
The ultimate fate of the universe likely depends on the properties of two mysterious phenomena known as dark matter and dark energy. Further study of both could reveal whether the universe will end in fire—or ice. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device.
How many galaxies are there in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field?
Like a history book of galaxies, this NASA video starts with a view of the thousands of galaxies in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field, then slowly zooms out to reveal the 265,000 galaxies in the larger Hubble Legacy Field.
What is the theory of the Big Bang?
The theory accounts for the creation of the lightest elements in the universe—hydrogen, helium, and lithium —from which all heavier elements were forged in stars and supernovas. An extension of the Big Bang, known as cosmic inflation, even explains why the universe is so homogeneous (evenly composed) and how galaxies are distributed across space.
Is space homogeneous or homogeneous?
Inflation stretched space out so quickly that it became extremely uniform. But space is not completely homogeneous. Small fluctuations in the density of matter present in the very early universe were massively amplified during inflation.
Does dark matter affect the universe?
Scientists can see the effects of the rest of the universe’s mass, which they call dark matter. Its presence in galaxies makes them rotate more quickly than if only normal matter were there, and high concentrations of it noticeably bend light coming from far away. But its nature remains a mystery.
Will the Big Bang ever happen?
The concept of a Big Bang doesn’t indicate whether the universe will continue to expand and cool or whether it will eventually contract to another super-hot singularity, perhaps restarting the entire cycle. The ultimate fate of the universe likely depends on the properties of two mysterious phenomena known as dark matter and dark energy. Further study of both could reveal whether the universe will end in fire—or ice.
When did the universe begin?
It is generally considered “proven” that the universe we inhabit began about 14 billion years ago with the “big bang”. However many aspects are still being worked out, and here I outline the most accepted understanding at present (see note 1, below).
Why did the universe never begin?
3. the universe never began because it has always existed. Option 1 seems to be the most obvious choice. For most people, this implies a god of some sort, but some believe our universe could have resulted from a previous universe. This may be true, but we still have to find an explanation for the entire chain of universes.
How long ago was the Big Bang?
Scientists have a pretty good idea of how it grew from the initial big bang about 14 billion years ago to the stars, galaxies and nebulae we see today, and the billions more that exist beyond our sight. But how it started and what caused it remains a mystery. Read the history of the universe in just a few paragraphs.
How big was the universe in the first minutes?
The first few minutes. As the age of the universe moved beyond seconds to minutes, it grew in size to about 10 15 kilometres across. Nuclear fusion formed the first of the nuclei we know about today – Hydrogen and Helium – in proportions that proved necessary for the universe as we know it to form.
How many degrees did the universe drop to?
By the time the universe was 1 second old, it had expanded to a size about a thousand times the size of our solar system, and the temperature dropped to about ten thousand million degrees. Diagram by NASA, via SNAP.
What are the two theories of the universe?
The two main theories were: “steady state”: the continual creation of matter at the centre of an expanding universe so the universe appears the same for all time , and. “pulsating”: the universe goes through regular cycles of expansion and contraction for all time. But most scientists no longer believe these theories.
What happened in the first fraction of a second?
In the first fractions of a second, when current laws of physics did not apply, a lot happened. Within a small fraction of a nano second, the universe expanded at an enormous rate from a very small size. This is known as ‘inflation’, and was necessary to allow the universe to be relatively homogenous (i.e. everywhere you look, it is much the same).
What is the observed fact that the more distant a galaxy was observed to be from us?
the observed fact that the more distant a galaxy was observed to be from us, on average, the greater the amount its light appeared to be “redshifted” before arriving at our eyes. General Relativity, almost immediately after it was put out into the world, was shown to imply certain inevitable consequences.
What is the Big Bang?
The Big Bang, originally, was an idea that attempted to explain the Universe we observed based on two pieces of evidence: the demonstrated validity of our current theory of gravity, General Relativity, and.
What science team was involved in the Big Bang?
NASA / WMAP SCIENCE TEAM. Even as the evidence supporting the Big Bang (and conflicting with all of the alternatives, like Tired Light, Plasma Cosmology, and the Steady-State Universe) was mounting throughout the 1960s and 1970s, there were some puzzles that emerged as well.
What star system is ours?
Just like all of the ~10 24 star systems in the observable Universe, ours was born from a protostar with a nebula and a disk around it, which then spawned planets, asteroids, and frozen, icy, outer bodies, leading to the system we inhabit today.
When was the spectral shift first observed?
First noted by Vesto Slipher back in 1917, some of the objects we observe show the spectral ...
Is the universe dominated by matter?
Universe is dominated by matter, radiation, or the energy inherent to space itself, with the latter corresponding to an inflating, energy-inherent-to-space-dominated Universe. Note that, in inflation, each time interval that goes by results in a Universe that is doubled in all dimensions from its prior size.
Does radiation lose energy as the universe expands?
How long ago was the universe?
The earliest stages of the universe's existence are estimated as taking place 13.8 billion years ago , with an uncertainty of around 21 million years at the 68% confidence level. Nature timeline. This box:
How long has the universe been around?
From 1 billion years, and for about 12.8 billion years, the universe has looked much as it does today and it will continue to appear very similar for many billions of years into the future. The thin disk of our galaxy began to form at about 5 billion years (8.8 Gya ), and the Solar System formed at about 9.2 billion years (4.6 Gya), with the earliest traces of life on Earth emerging by about 10.3 billion years (3.5 Gya).
What is the universe made of?
The universe consists of a plasma of nuclei, electrons, and photons; temperatures remain too high for the binding of electrons to nuclei. Electrons and atomic nuclei first become bound to form neutral atoms. Photons are no longer in thermal equilibrium with matter and the universe first becomes transparent.
What is the spherical volume of space that will become the observable universe?
At the end of this epoch, the spherical volume of space which will become the observable universe is about 300 light-years in radius, baryonic matter density is on the order of 4 grams per m 3 (about 0.3% of sea level air density) – however, most energy at this time is in electromagnetic radiation. Photon epoch.
How long does matter last in the universe?
Lasting around 370,000 years. Initially, various kinds of subatomic particles are formed in stages. These particles include almost equal amounts of matter and antimatter, so most of it quickly annihilates, leaving a small excess of matter in the universe.
What will happen to the universe in the Stelliferous Era?
At some time the Stelliferous Era will end as stars are no longer being born, and the expansion of the universe will mean that the observable universe becomes limited to local galaxies. There are various scenarios for the far future and ultimate fate of the universe.
How many parts are there in the chronology of the universe?
For the purposes of this summary, it is convenient to divide the chronology of the universe since it originated, into five parts. It is generally considered meaningless or unclear whether time existed before this chronology:
Who discovered the universe was expanding?
In the first article, where we laid out the cosmological argument, we heard about many of the scientific and mathematical discoveries that occurred in the first half of the 20th century that led scientists to discover that the universe was expanding. Einstein developed his theory of relativity – which was independently verified by Alexander Friedman and Georges Lemaitre. And, Edwin Hubble observed the redshift in the light from distant galaxies. But, these observations aren’t all of the science we have that points to a beginning of the universe. There are other laws and observations that point to the same thing.
When did scientists start to predict the Big Bang?
Around 1948 , scientists began to predict that if the Big Bang were true, there should be some detectable radiation left over from it that we could observe. In 1965, two astronomers confirmed this by accident from their observatory at Bell Labs in Holmdel, New Jersey. Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson started picking up strange radiation no matter which direction they pointed their antenna.
