I'm reading a book that describes how the COBE (the cosmic background explorer) has detected the echoes of the big bang explosion, if the explosion is still echoing does that not mean that there is something at the edge of the universe to reflect the echoes , or would it just be the fact that the universe is a bubble and the echo has made it's way back?
2007-02-19 14:07:48 · 4 answers · asked by Sentinel 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Hi. The COBE was able to discern the background with good precision. George Smoot, author of "Wrinkles in Time" just got a Nobel Prize for this work. The background is not an echo. It is the heat from the original explosion red-shifted almost to absolute zero.
2007-02-19 14:12:04 · answer #1 · answered by Cirric 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's not bouncing off edges - it's everywhere. Picture it like a balloon you're blowing up by putting solid nitrogen in it. As the nitrogen (first a small clump) evaporates, it blows up the balloon - but all the nitrogen that was ever in the balloon is still in there, but instead of being concentrated in one small spot, it's filling the whole balloon. That's how the cosmic microwave background works - it's still everywhere, but cooling as the universe expands. It's in all of space.
2007-02-19 14:20:32 · answer #2 · answered by eri 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Wow, I never thought of that. These are some good answers, I have an urge to do some research now.
2007-02-19 14:22:51 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
very interesting...I'll do more reasearch on that one. do some studies on Gene Shoemaker.....about life...also very interesting.
2007-02-19 14:11:56 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋