What is the shape of the Universe?

Answer 1

Recent images and findings are beginning to give us quite a better idea of what the shape of the universe is. Yes, there's a shape to it. This first link is about the basics. The second link is about how we recently took a real picture of the beginning of the Universe and have extrapolated from there! After reading that article, click on to all the links, especially second from the very bottom of the page, to learn more about all of these interesting discoveries:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shape_of_the_universe
http://www.princeton.edu/pr/pwb/03/0217/

P.S. Would you like to HEAR the sound of the real Big Bang?
http://encarta.msn.com/media_461543080_1741502444_-1_1/The_Sound_of_the_Big_Bang.html

Answer 2

The shape of the Universe is round and flat. Imagine the Universe right after the big bang. From the center of the big bang, everything expanded outwards, and since there was nothing in the way of this expansion, the Universe kept its perfect shape, a sphere. Look at a basketball. It is round. Look at a picture of the planet Earth. It is round. Now go outside and look at your surroundings, most likely they're flat. Now look at the big picture, the Universe. It is round, but if you put it to scale, it would be flat. Imagine being in a spaceship, and if it were possible to travel from one end of the Universe to the other, all you needed to do would be to travel in a straight line, and eventually you would end up where you started from.

Answer 3

Geometrically its flat. Something thats very hard to wrap your head around because we think of flat things in 2d, but it has been proven that the universe is flat. If the universe were curved in any way, straight lines would not exist, they would eventually have to curve, and triangles would not be exactly 180 degrees. Its been proven that the universe is flat within 10%.

Now, if you are asking about the observable universe, thats a giant sphere with you right at the center extending out as far as we can see in every direction. Right now the farthest we can see is about 10 billion light years in each direction. Theres no reason to believe that the observable universe is all there is, however, and as telescopes get better we should be able to expand our observable universe.

Answer 4

we know from general relativity our universe was created in a hot, inflationary big bang, around 15 billion years ago. our universe started out very, very small, smaller than a tiny mustard seed and it had an enormous mass density. then as our universe exploded, (we call this a hot big bang), matter began to expand outward, and form, stars, planets, and galaxies. in fact our universe is expanding rapidly outward as we speak.

through various experimental observations and various mathematical calcuations we can determine that our universe does in fact have a distinct shape to it. we call this the 'topology' of the observable universe. we say on the mean, or average our universe is homogenous,and isotropic. that means the distribution of matter (stars/galaxies) is uniform and independent of direction.

The mathematical model for our observable universe comes from einsteins general relativity equations and is called the FLWR model. This model helps us understand the possible shapes of our homogeneous/isotropic observable universe.

A homogenous and isotropic universe allows us to model the universe for a spatial geometry of constant curvature. Right now all we can say for 100 % certain about the shape of our universe is that it is homogenous and isotropic, but the precise nature of the curvature of our universe is still under investigation.

There are three possible models for the curvature (shape) of our observable universe. So physicist and mathematician are trying to determine which of the three models best fits our observable universe.

1) a 3 dimensional euclidean geometry (flat, zero curvature)
2) a 3 dimensional spherical geometry with small curvature (spherical, small positive curvature)
3) a 3 dimensional hyperbolic geometry with small curvature (saddle shaped, small negative curvature)

Intial evidence points to universe that has a hyperbolic geometry. we call this also the open universe model. so it appears if you were to describe it our universe looks like the a 3-d model of a saddle for a horse that is always growing (expanding).

More experiments will have to made to verify if the hyperbolic geometry is the best descriptor for our observable universe. but it looks like our universe has negative curvature. which means it will expand forever, and end in a big freeze, a heat death, or a what is called a big rip.

Answer 5

Shape of universe is like a disc.

Answer 6

no one knows that what is the shape of the universe
we also dosen't know that universe is endless or having any limit
without knowing the limit or area we cant say about shape of the universe

Answer 7

the universe is constantly growing, we have only seen a part of it.
the shape of the universe will be changing with respect to time.

Answer 8

Think of a giant cob web! Where matter only exist in the filaments where all galaxies and stars exist with no matter at all between the strings. The web is expanding.

Check the illustrations in this link. Whether or not you agree with the text is up to you!

http://www.grg.org/charter/genesis.htm

Answer 9

the universe is in the shape of an expanding bubble...

Answer 10

My friend, I believe the shape of our universe resembles a "sphere", and it is rotating on its axis !