I read that it happened about 10 billion years ago but it doesn't make sense to my feeble intellect. What exploded? Why? Is the universe expanding? How big is it now and how do we know? Could we see the big bang if we had a powerful enough telescope? Am I stupid?
2006-07-06 16:12:53 · 21 answers · asked by VIP 4 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Thanks Tim.
2006-07-07 14:51:37 · update #1
EXPO is looking good for best answer. Quite a range of opinions out there as far as when it went down. When you start talking 10+billion years, you're obviously deep in the land of guesswork.
2006-07-07 14:58:43 · update #2
It did happen and it was about 13 to 14 billion years ago. There is lots of evidence that it happened. What exploded was everything you see around you. All the matter that makes up the universe was essentially packed into one tiny point in space, suddenly exploding and expanding rapidly outward, continuing to expand even now. Figure the size of the universe at about 13 billion light-years across (one light-year is about 6 trillion--i.e., 6,000,000,000,000 miles). Scientists ARE looking "back in time" with large telescopes. Through various means they are able to describe conditions as they were in the "early" universe (about 300,000 years old). Confusingly, nobody can point to the "center" of the universe--it appears from Earth to extend way, way out in all directions. No, you aren't dumb. Ask an astrophysicist to explain the "dark matter" and you'll see even they have a lot to learn. It's exciting!
2006-07-06 16:48:29 · answer #1 · answered by EXPO 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
This comes from a US perspective so I suppose it won't garner me a best answer, but the Big Bang is thought to have happened roughly 13.5-13.9 billion years ago.
All of the matter and energy in the universe exploded.
It exploded because it reached a critical heat temperature.
Yes.
The size of the universe is not really known, but given the speed of light, the size of the observable universe is roughly 13.5-13.9 billion light years. Most scientists feel that the actual size of the universe is 6 times larger than that, based on some findings that as it gets farther away, the universe is expanding faster. Still others believe that the universe is infinite.
Maybe.
I don't know.
2006-07-06 17:02:16 · answer #2 · answered by kraikaikaigai? 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi,
The latest theory I read about (not on a stupid site) is that the big bang really happened.
However it was not exactly the beginning. They are not sure. They came up with the idea that there exists other universes parrallel to us. When they collide the energy they emit (like hitting a ball) has to go somewhere.
The big bang occured when these two universes collided together .. the energy that escaped create our universe.
This also states that there will be more big bangs, and have been also others.
Karl
http://www.freewebs.com/smithkarl/DaveBlogs.htm
2006-07-07 07:17:40 · answer #3 · answered by B James 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe the current theory dates the universe at between 15 and 20 billion years old. There is not one commonly accepted cause, but one I read in Popular Science said the start of this universe came from our dimension colliding with another dimension that is only a protons width apart from ours as well as many other dimensions.
Now any one who proscribes to Genesis over this is just ludicrous (I'm being serious, Genesis is wrong, sorry)
2006-07-06 17:22:44 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, you're not stupid, but you're being lazy, 'cause you can look it up in Wikepedia or any of several such resources. Yes, the universe is expanding, and at an accelerating rate. We have seen the afterglow of the Big Bang using a special instrument. Look it up: you'll never find anything more fascinating.
2006-07-06 16:39:17 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, man, that's the whole question. Stupid? Well, Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, etc. famously asked the same questions. No firm answers yet - this is, indeed, the Big Question.
There is recent conjecture that a telescope, or something similar, of sufficient power could, indeed, see the beginning of time.
Go for it.
2006-07-06 16:18:10 · answer #6 · answered by gabluesmanxlt 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
over 5 billion years ago. It's hard to tell when it happened cuz the universe is expanding and running away from itself and aging at the same time so it's hard to tell how old things are if you can't compare them side by side.
2006-07-06 16:31:21 · answer #7 · answered by Fox 34 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Listen to Ryan and Expo, they know what they're talking about. It was about 13.7 billion years ago.
The stuff about 4.6 to 5 billion years refers to when our planet and solar system were formed.
This is all according to theory **AND ALSO** supported by lots of careful measurements.
2006-07-06 17:00:46 · answer #8 · answered by genericman1998 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hello Friend,
Ur are not at all Stupid !! yes it has happened about 60 billion yrs ago. chek in www.astronomy.com
2006-07-06 17:24:01 · answer #9 · answered by SEASON 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it happened about 4.6+ billion years ago, when a star or some other celestial body exploded.
2006-07-06 16:26:40 · answer #10 · answered by astronomychica 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋