If when we look into the very depths of space (and are therefore looking back in time, to the very beginning of the universe), why are the objects seen (quasers etc) randomly positioned in every direction, and not concentrated in a small area. Would not the big bang have resulted in a concentrated mass of material?
2006-06-13 12:35:14 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
That's a good question. If everything started from a singularity and we can see some objects from early in the universe, you'd think they'd all be in one area in space.
But you've got to remember, where we are now was also in that same area near the original singularity. Although our sun, or our galaxy, did not exist 13 billion years ago, this point in space did. This point in space was surrounded by the early galaxies and quasars of the early universe and they were close to us - a lot closer than 13 billion light years. The light of many of those early galaxies washed over this point in space long ago.
But this point in space has been moving away from all the other points in space at a rapid rate. We've been moving away from the surrounding points in space and the light from those points has to chase us down. So if we've been moving away from some point in space that once contained a quasar at 9/10ths the speed of light, that light would take 10 times longer to reach us than if we were standing still. So if that point was really 1.3 billion light years away from us 13 billion years ago, its light would just catch up with us.
You got to think 4 dimensional now... we've been moving away from points on all sides of us, thus light needs to chase us down from every direction. So were surrounded by these ancient quasars.
Well, at least the astrophysicists seem to make the math work...
2006-06-13 17:39:42 · answer #1 · answered by sysengineer67 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
You are picturing this completely wrong. The big bang is not an explosion of matter into empty space. Neither is there a center to the universe. Instead the expansion is everywhere. Think of it as a stretching of the space between all matter. Everything is just getting further apart.
There are two seperate possibilities. Either the universe is finite or it is infinite.
The infinite model can be thought of like a loaf of raisin bread extending in all directions and as the loaf expands the raisins get further apart. There is no center, the universe looks the same from within any point in the infinite loaf.
The finite model is more difficult for most people to understand. But basically the universe looks like the surface of a hypersphere. As the hypersphere expands points on the surface get further apart from each other. If you go in any direction on the surface and go far enough you eventually get back where you started. Again there is no center, the universe looks the same at any point within it.
2006-06-13 20:10:24 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Material from the Big Bang was blown out in all directions. As it "slowed" [yes even though the expansion is still expanding], some clumps formed larger masses due to gravity. There should be a smattering of clumps of matter in all directions with the randomness created by gravity having had an effect on certain regions by causing them to be more dense with matter than others.
2006-06-14 22:16:56 · answer #3 · answered by quntmphys238 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do This:
Fill a water balloon. Then drop it on the ground such that it explodes. Make note of where the balloon hit. Now, notice that water sprays away from it in all directions pretty much evenly. The water started in the middle (inside the water balloon) and then moved in all directions.
This is a simple 2-dimensional model of the Big Bang. All matter in the universe started out in the center. At the moment of the Big Bang, all the matter sprayed out from the center in all directions. Unlike the water balloon, the matter in the universe is still spraying out in all directions. This is why stellar objects appear to be randomly positioned in every direction. Because they are, from our point of view standing on one of them.
2006-06-13 19:43:49 · answer #4 · answered by dogsaysmoo 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The big bang happened everywhere at once. Space has been continually expanding since it happened. There was no outside from which you could have viewed it.
2006-06-13 20:55:51 · answer #5 · answered by zee_prime 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you think big bang, then think of a firecracker exploding. Is mass concentrated from the explosion of the fire cracker. No.
That is why it is scattered about and the universe is expanding.
2006-06-13 20:52:21 · answer #6 · answered by cat_lover 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We do not possess the technology to peer that far into space. We only see a mere glimpse of things. We barely break our own galaxy at times.
2006-06-13 19:39:22 · answer #7 · answered by futurehero5200 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nothing is random in space it all has a specific connection to each other like a fast machine.
2006-06-13 19:41:06 · answer #8 · answered by quinazagga 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they arent because God created everything
2006-06-13 22:06:39 · answer #9 · answered by Justin 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
thats why i believe in god its so much easier and i have faith
2006-06-13 19:39:12 · answer #10 · answered by staterules9 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋