What is the difference between "The Universe" and "The Observable Universe"?
2006-09-02 17:15:15 · 12 answers · asked by Macarro 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Current theory is that, when the universe was a fraction of a second old, it briefly expanded really really fast. This is known as "inflation".
That carried part of the universe so far away from us that we now cannot see it. It's not a matter of how big we make our telescope, no light from that part can ever get here.
Theory also says that part of the universe we can't see is actually bigger than the part we can see, the "observable" universe.
2006-09-02 17:34:20 · answer #1 · answered by Bob 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Anything further away than 13.7 billion light years (give or take) is receding from us at faster than the speed of light, so we can't observe it. Light from those objects hasn't had time to reach us yet. The Universe is all there is -- it could be much bigger than we can actually observe, for the reasons stated above. If the Inflation Theory propounded by astrophysicist Alan Guth is an underestimate, the universe can not only be big, it can be REALLY big. Something on the order of 10 to the 10th to the 12th. For me to write down the number of zeroes in that kind of exponential number would really be annoying, it would take up many pages But, the universe is not infinite. This guy Obler, the mathematician credited for working out the math, the conclusions of which are referred to as "Obler's Paradox", concludes that if the universe were infinite, the night sky would be as bright as day.
2006-09-03 00:27:15 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The observable universe is the part of the universe that can be viewed by the largest telescopes on earth and studied/researched. The universe on the other hand is the observable universe, along with the universe that our current telescopes can't reach.
2006-09-03 03:59:21 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
the 'observable universe' is a tiny subset of the 'infinite' universe. In a trillion upon a trillion years, our only 'observable universe' will be the Milky Way. All the other galaxies will have traveled too far away for us to see.
We be all alone in the darkness.
2006-09-03 02:45:29 · answer #4 · answered by Its not me Its u 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The universe comprises of all particles like the stars, planets, galaxies, interstellar dust, galactic columns etc. Whereas the observable universe consists of bodies that are visible to our eyes at all EM wavelengths and frequencies. They do not include the dark matter and the objects that are blocked by other universal bodies.
2006-09-03 00:25:46 · answer #5 · answered by s s 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The universe includes parts we can not observe (yet)
2006-09-03 00:31:42 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The observable universe is that part that emits light within the sphere of light that is the number of light years across that there have been since the big bang.
2006-09-03 00:35:45 · answer #7 · answered by pechorin1 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They(scientists) say the UNIVERSE was created by BIGBANG.
Basically what ever got created by BIGBANG is the "universe".
Now when we see the sky and try to measure them, its quite possible that they are objects so far away that they are not visible(or observable).
For e.g. scientists thought there were 'x' galaxies, then when saw pictures from hubble telescope they saw 'x+y' galaxies......so with more powerful telescope you will continue to find more and more....
Hope this helps...
2006-09-03 02:59:22 · answer #8 · answered by Infinity 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
what of thee universe we are able to see and then there is that which we cannot
2006-09-03 00:18:55 · answer #9 · answered by Billy S 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
one you can see, the other is too big to research
2006-09-03 00:18:29 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋