2006-12-24 08:13:29 · 18 answers · asked by Silver Fox 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
In terms of size, which is what I assume you are asking, there are no known limits so far. distances such as several thousands of light years are commonly used in illustrating the size of various galaxies. Add to that the fact that there are millions of galaxies, and you have something that is truly immense. So, for all practical purposes, consider the known universe as being bigger than you can possibly imagine, and then some.
Next question is from me to you...given the above information is correct...why worry about something that is that incredibly far away? Seems pointless to me, and I doubt you will find anyone who can tell you an answer that is mathematically correct. What you will hear are some absolutely huge numbers if the distances are expressed in "MILES" or "KILOMETERS" so that you can get a real feel for the vastness of these distances. On charts of the 25 brightest stars for example, one of them is 1600 light years from us on Earth. That is just one bright star we can easily see.
2006-12-24 10:52:32 · answer #1 · answered by zahbudar 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do you mean in terms of the boundaries of space and the size of it or as in a time when it will all come to an end and stop being a universe?
I think the 2nd is a more interesting question - current data suggests the universe is accelerating in its expansion and this makes it unlikely that it will collapse due to its own gravity in a huge singularity (probably a black hole) that is called the Big Crunch - some theories that the universe will speed up so much that in a trillion or so years spacetime itself will tear apart - this scenarion is called the Big Rip.
Some think that our spacetime bubble (the visible universe) is a 3-brane floating in higher dimensional space and will collide with another universe in the far distant future - this scenario is called the Big Splat (I'm not kidding!)
It seems likely that far from the hot, fiery exciting death scientists predicted decades ago the universe will just get bigger, colder with nothing but darkness and dust floating in the void and not a planet or a star within the entire trillion light years of the universe (its only 13.8 billion light years across now)
Regards.
2006-12-24 16:25:48 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
In terms of spatial boundrys, yes, it does have an edge. However, if you crossed over the edge of the Universe, you'd just be on the otherside of the universe and be completely unaware.
Our Universe is a hyperdimentional sphere, curved in a fourth spatial dimention that we are unable to comprehend and are unaware of.
Just like a two dimentional ant on the surface of a ball, he walks around and it appears flat, but he doesn't realize he's just walking in three dimentional circles.
If you're talking about Universal caticlism, I don't think there will really be one and the Universe will continue decaying energy states until that's nothing left but rocks floating through the pitch black. But what the guy said about the 'Big Splat' was ineresting..
2006-12-24 18:43:12 · answer #3 · answered by socialdeevolution 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As God is beyond time and space, he would have to be outside the boundaries of time and space, therefore the universe must have an ending in a religious context.
From a non-religious point of view, it does end at some point, as the universe is constantly expanding there must be an end for it. As the universe expands, it will expand into the space taken up by something that we are unable to see as our known universe.
2006-12-24 16:20:58 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
If you started walking around earth in one direction and kept on going where would the end be? There is no end unless you call the end the place where you started at.
2006-12-25 00:56:11 · answer #5 · answered by aorton27 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. The definition of "universe" is: everything that exists. Therefore, there cannot be an end to it. There is an old apocryphal story: A professor's final exam question is, "Define 'universe' and give two examples". It cannot be done.
Alternative 'universes' don't count -- they are just that -- made-up metaphysical constructs.
2006-12-24 16:23:17 · answer #6 · answered by johnvilla50 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
no it doesn't end but must have an end which keeps growing , if we had a telescope powerful enough it would be possible view the big bang at its very birth and if you looked far enough you'd view the back of yourself were space and time had bent so far that it was coming back on its self
2006-12-24 20:50:21 · answer #7 · answered by Goffy 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no not until the end of all things
2006-12-25 11:14:19 · answer #8 · answered by Dan 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=6676983.PN.&OS=PN/6676983&RS=PN/6676983
From The Big Bang To Black Holes
2006-12-24 16:24:23 · answer #9 · answered by lipsticklobotomy 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yes, nothing is infinite. Everything has an end. Hail Satan!
2006-12-24 16:20:59 · answer #10 · answered by BelzeeBob! 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋