if the universe is indeed expanding, where is it expanding into? a greater outer space?

Question

does space have an outer boundary? perhaps from an older big bang?

Answer 1

The answer is that no one knows. We can't see out that far. If 'universe' means the set of all matter, the simplest idea is that beyond the farthest matter is simply empty space containing no matter. Some say the universe is 'closed' (it bends back onto itself like a donut). Brane theories come up with possibilities that make your head spin. I stand by my first answer.

Answer 2

The expansion of the universe is indeed debatable. One thing we got to understand is that - it is one of the indefinables of physics just like mass , length and time. We know thats still we have not been able to find a limit to the natural numbers. I give u a number , u add one and get another number! Thats one ofthe baffling situations we are in . Taking ur case of the expansion of the universe, the beliefr has been that it does n ot end. This is due to the fact that once we presume that the universe has a definite end, then another question arises - what is the universe contained in? Then the container has to have a definite end! This goes on and on! The big bang was only the rweason for the formation of our system. We cannnot attribute the big bang to anything else as of now. There is disagreement over whether the universe is indeed finite or infinite in spatial extent.

However, the observable universe, consisting of all locations that could have affected us since the Big Bang given the finite speed of light, is certainly finite. The edge of the cosmic light horizon is 15.8 billion light years distant.The present distance (comoving distance) to the edge of the observable universe is larger, due to the ever increasing rate at which the universe has been expanding; it is estimated to be about 78 billion light years[5] (7.8 × 1010 light years, or 7.4 × 1026 m). This would make the volume, of the known universe, equal to 1.9 × 1033 cubic light years (assuming this region is perfectly spherical). As of 2006, the observable universe is thought to contain about 7 × 1022 stars, organized in about 100 billion (1011) galaxies, which themselves form clusters and superclusters. The number of galaxies may be even larger, based on the Hubble Deep Field observed with the Hubble Space Telescope. The Hubble Space Telescope discovered galaxies such as Abell 1835 IR1916, which are over 13 billion light years from Earth.

Both popular and professional research articles in cosmology often use the term "universe" when they really mean "observable universe". This is because unobservable physical phenomena are scientifically irrelevant; that is, they cannot affect any events that we can perceive.

Answer 3

Once upon a time, 20 billions of years ago, all matter
(all elementary particles and all quarks and
their girlfriends- antiparticles and antiquarks,
all kinds of waves: electromagnetic, gravitational,
muons… gluons field ….. etc.) – was assembled in a “single point”.
It is interesting to think about what had surrounded the “single point”.
The answer is :
EMPTINESS- NOTHING….!!!
Ok!
But why does everyone speak about EMPTINESS- NOTHING in
common phrases rather than in specific, concrete terms?
I wonder why nobody has written down this EMPTINESS- NOTHING in
the form of a physical formula ? You see, every schoolboy knows that
is possible to express the EMPTINESS- NOTHING condition
by the formula T=0K.
* * *
Once there was a “Big Bang”.
But in what space had the Big Bang taken place
and in what space was the matter of the Big Bang distributed?
Not in T=0K?
It is clear, that there is only EMPTINESS, NOTHING, in T=0K.
Now consider that the Universe, as an absolute frame of reference is
in a condition of T = 2,7K (rests relic radiation of the Big Bang ).
But, the relic radiation is extended and in the future will change and decrease.
What temperature can this radiation reach?
Not T=0K?
Hence, if we go into the past or into the present or into the future,
we can not escape from EMPTINESS- NOTHING T=0K.
Therefore it is necessary to begin to think from T=0K.
http://www.socratus.com

Answer 4

a) It is still expanding to where the space are still stable.
b) In stable spaces or else it will just bounce into new direction.
c) Space is a space and if it has boundary, then it is enclosed.
d) ...? Big bang or not, it will slow down and collapse to itself just like bombs in an open area.

Answer 5

indeed the universe is expanding, but to where is unknown may be as you said to a greater outer space.

Answer 6

There's nothing on the other side. I just wraps around like a 4 dimensional donut of something. It's interesting to note that the universe is expanding at an accelerated rate.

Answer 7

The universe is everything, it isn't in anything so can't expand into...

If the universe is in something, the universe size has no relevance to it.

The universe expansion is equivalent to every thing in it getting smaller, or that light speed gets smaller over time.

The expansion is calculated by tracking photons (light) from far galaxies and noticing that there is a delay in the arrival of a photon compare to the one before it. (There is a pattern of photon we expect).

Answer 8

It is expanding into infinity. At this point in time there is no finite answer to an outer spacial boundary.

Intriguing question however.

Answer 9

A better question would be "what is the universe expanding within?" What does it all exist in?

Answer 10

it depends. if this is an open universe it will expand for infinity. if this is a closed universe it will expand to a point and implode on its self. to my knowledge scientists do not know if this is an open or closed universe and they don't have any way to tell yet.