Most astronomers would like to know the shape of the universe too! There are three general possibilities. First, like your balloon, the universe might have what we call positive curvature, like a sphere. In this case, which we call a "closed" universe, the universe would be finite in size but without a boundary, just like the balloon. In a closed universe, you could, in principle, fly a spaceship far enough in one direction and get back to where you started from. Closed universes are also closed in time: they eventually stop expanding, then contract in a "Big Crunch." All the geometry that is true on a sphere is also true in a closed unvierse: parallel lines eventually converge (e.g. longitude lines are parallel at the equator, but converge at the poles), large triangles have more than 180 degrees, etc.
The second possibility is that the universe is flat. This kind of universe you can imagine by cutting out a piece of your baloon material and stretching it with your hands. The surface of the material is flat, not curved, but you can expand and contract it by tugging on either end. Flat universes are infinite in spatial extent, and have no boundaries. Parallel lines are always parallel and triangles always have 180 degrees. Flat universes expand forever, but the expansion rate approaches zero.
Finally, the universe might be "open," or have negative curvature. Such universes are sort of saddle-shaped. They are also infinite and unbounded. Parellel lines eventually diverge, and triangles have less than 180 degrees. Open universes expand forever, with the expansion rate never approaching zero.
What determines the shape of the universe is its density (and the Cosmological Constant, a sort of anti-gravity force allowed by General Relativity). It is difficult to figure out what the density of the universe actually is, but it seems that the universe is probably flat.
2007-01-14 23:59:42
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answer #1
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answered by Sporadic 3
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definite, the picture voltaic equipment is component to our galaxy, the milky way. Our galaxy, the milky, is thousands of sunshine-years throughout the time of. it really is precise. The diameter of its disk is about 100,000 mild-years, with the common thickness of 10,000 mild-years. Clouds, filaments, and walls are platforms interior galaxies yet they could exist interior stars outdoors of galaxies. Galaxies are really platforms of stars. celeb equipment which will be considered because the most important "gadgets" contained in the universe. Its confusing to assert that "the solar is really very tremendous for a celebrity" because the solar's stellar type, in accordance with spectral class, is G2V and is informally precise as a yellow dwarf, sounds somewhat small. The solar's diameter is about a million,392,000 km, at the same time as the equatorial diameter of the Earth is 12,756 km. The makes the solar to be about 100 circumstances the diameter of Earth and about four hundred circumstances the size of the moon, which makes the earth about 4 circumstances the diameter of the moon.
2016-12-02 06:56:58
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answer #2
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answered by ? 4
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The Universe as a whole presently is not mapped yet. With the rate that we're advancing with all our available technological know how and equipment, you and me won't be able to learn what's the shape of the Universe.
There is so much distances in between galaxies and we only able to see what the Hubble telescope can provide us. With all those galaxies that could be seen, did it occur to you that there might be more out there. The heavens is infinite and it's so vast that probably we are only in a little portion of the whole Universe, as we are only in a little portion of our own galaxy, as we are only in a little portion of our own solar system, as the earth is only one planet of it, and as you and me is only a little dot in our very own planet earth.
2007-01-14 16:13:37
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answer #3
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answered by egan 5
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The Universe is larger than we can see. The boundary of what we can see is growing in all directions at the speed of light. So far we have not determined any direction in which there is an edge to the universe. I am sorry to tell you that no one is likely to be able to ever know what the shape of the universe is.
2007-01-14 15:54:06
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answer #4
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answered by anonimous 6
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That thing would be called the universe, and "they" don't know what it's shaped like although theories include a sphere, a hyperbolic paraboloid (sort of like a saddle), or somewhat flat (obviously not completely flat).
2007-01-14 15:54:17
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answer #5
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answered by Anonymous
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U want the shape of universe..literally
It depends on the critical density of universe...i.e. how much matter per cu.metre the universe contains..more density.>critical density.means universe is a sphere.
The inverse means a saddle like universe.
If density = critical density..
then it is flat....
If u beliebe in string theory...then it is flat brane only fluctuating and colliding with its parallel universe in a huge multiverse...
2007-01-14 15:59:46
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answer #6
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answered by KP-Rox 2
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The universe is a sphere but it has shapes within it where gallazies are mor dense.
2007-01-14 15:52:18
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answer #7
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answered by Anonymous
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