how big is the universe?

Answer 1

to infinity and beyound

Answer 2

The Answer
What astronomers mean when they speak of the "known Universe" depends on the astronomer. Most often it refers to the region of the Universe from which light could travel to us since shortly after the Big Bang.
The farthest observable discrete objects are the quasars (visible at such great distances because they are so bright). However, the cosmic microwave background radiation, at 3 degrees Kelvin, comes from even further away. It has a redshift of about 1000, and comes from the time when the Universe was much smaller, and filled with hot ionized gas (plasma) at 3000 Kelvin, as hot as the surface of some stars. Dense plasma blocks light, and so we cannot see anything beyond that distance.

If the theory known as "inflation" is true, the size of the "known Universe" is much smaller than that of the Universe as a whole. If you look at the "known Universe", every part of it looks about the same, as far as we can tell. As an analogy, if you look at a typical cornfield in Kansas, it all looks the same as far as the eye can see. For there to be as much variety as you would expect in a world, the world has to be much larger than the size of a Kansas cornfield. Likewise, inflation says that the Universe is much larger than the known Universe.

How much larger is hard to determine, and theories are untrustworthy since we can never confirm them by observations. (Actually, 'never' is a bit of an overstatement. If you waited long enough, the Universe would slow its expansion and you may be able to see a bit further. But that would take billions of years.)

Answer 3

The human mind is constrained in its theories and hypotheses by the laws of science and physics.

These laws do not apply to the cosmos in general.

No one is intelligent enough or has enough knowledge to comprehend the what,where and why we exist at all.

Think of an absolute nothing (a near impossibility) and that is as near as you, or anyone else, will get to comprehending the size of the universe.

The very question requires a system of measurement. All the measurements we use are mere arbitrary units. So what do you mean; how big? Relative to what?

We use the term infinite, rather loosely, when something is beyond a comprehensible explanation.

If someone says the universe is infinite what is meant by universe. There may well be much more beyond what we refer to as the universe.

Answer 4

Sit down, take a deep breath close your eyes and breathe slowly, if you think about anything just watch those thoughts and let them go without judging them and come back to focus on your breathing - do that for 5 minutes every day at the same time. Increase the amount of time you do that every day until eventually you are doing it all the time and questions like how big is the universe are meaningless, nonsense. Then one day quite unexpectedly you may get the answer!

Answer 5

Hi Jason!

Scientist say that the Universe is 156 Billion Light Years Wide!!

wow! That's big!!

Hope this helps!

Answer 6

size is relative.
what's to say that this whole universe is not actually just a few bacteria on the top of a pinhead in somebody else's universe ?

Answer 7

The observable univers is about 20 Billion light years in diameter, but that is merely as far back as we can see.

Answer 8

it is nearly impossible to correctly assess how big the universe is but this site might help you out.

Answer 9

How long is piece of string, the universe goes on into infinity it is endless.

Answer 10

"Space is big - really big - you just won't believe how vastly, hugely mind-bogglingly big it is. You may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space."

Answer 11

Too big to be able to explain or give a figure to its size.