Why does space never end?

Answer 1

we don't know that, and we're not even sure of the shape of the universe. the faster we travel the more the shape changes from our perspective.

right now we can only see about 46.5 billion light years in each direction. Beyond that, we simply can't see because its too far...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observable_universe


so, until we can stretch our view, the question will probably go unanswered.

Answer 2

Space (or the universe) does have an end, and is finite, or so most astronomers and physicists think.

If you look out into space you are essentially looking back in time, the further you look away from earth, the further back in time you look. This is due to the speed of light being limited and the distances being so great that the light has taken as long as the universe has existed to get to us (about 13.7 billion years!).

What we also see is that the universe is expanding and that means the further we look out the faster the universe is moving away from us. This causes a phenomenon called Doppler shift (similar to the sound changing on a horn as train passes you, but with light rather than sound). The Doppler shift for light moving away from us is called a red shift and light from the very edge of the universe (and the very beginning of time) has shifted so far that it is no longer in the visible spectrum, it has become infra red light and then microwave light. But we can still see it with radio telescopes and when we look using these instruments we see back in time (almost) to when the universe was formed by the "big bang" at that time all the universe was a single point called a singularity.

So in fact the big bang theory (the most accepted theory of the universe) states that the universe is finite and growing larger constantly. The theory states that the universe started with a single infinitely small point and in a sudden explosion of energy and matter has grown to its present size in about 13.7 billion years. Scientists estimate the current diameter of the sphere comprising the universe to be 156 Billion Light-years!

Answer 3

If it ended, what would that be like? A wall way out there? So what is on the other side of that wall? More space? If so, then space doesn't end.

But modern science says space is curved in a higher dimension, kind of like the surface of the Earth looks like a 2 dimensional flat plane but is really curved into a ball in the 3rd dimension. Earth's surface is not infinite but there is no edge anywhere to fall off of. In a way, the edge of the Earth's surface is everywhere; you are standing on the edge and every time you jump you are leaving the Earth, although gravity always pulls you back. In an analogous way 3 dimensional space is thought to be curved in a higher (4th?) dimension and so not be infinitely large, even though there is no edge. In a way, the edge would be here and everywhere, but we do not know how to jump into the 4th dimension or even see it.

Answer 4

In math, you cannot divide a number and ever get to zero. It's all semantics. In going the other direction, if you multiply a number, you'll never get to the end. The same goes with space. In its most basic meaning, space is just that - space. Numbers never end. Simple. Yet complex.

Answer 5

Considering that space is infact expanding it can only be assumed that there is a point of origin and an end. As much as Albert himself hated this concept it is how it is and cannot be rejected simply because we do not like it. I say this to talk of another concept. The definition of space is not simply vacuum, but anything that is either physically visible, tangible or present in one way or another, we see space, we cannot touch it, but we know it's there and that is because matter can occupy space and we are matter, therefore almost similar to a set notation because we are within space, space is comprehensible to us, anything outside is not. Space appears infinite only because we are miniscule in it's vastness and cannot possibly cover or comprehend it's entire distance. There is an area out there where space is non-existant, because of this fact we will not be able to view it as it does not exist in our plane of reality and possibly even outside our laws of natural physics. Saying this I come to the conclusion that all things visible are within space such as us and the planets and all things invisible to us (not just our eyes, but our minds) are outside space or existed before it's conception. To answer your question however space never ends because it is constantly expanding, however you should know that because it had to have expanded into something, something outside of space was most likely there before it. Further more unlike the matter within space, space itself is not bound to the same properties as gases, solids and liquids and it's expansion has been calculated, but even then it has defied our laws (appearantly it's rate of expansion is increasing).

Answer 6

in a never ending space there are never ending possibilities, to pretend that you know anything about space when it is on a never ending scale is a very high level of stupid. you can spend your life on education trying to explain it and not come closer than an ant trying to explain how our ash trey works.

Answer 7

There is a limit where all the stars end, however, the emptiness of space is infinite.

Answer 8

We don´t know if it has an end or not. Up to now it looks like infinite, but if it had an end what would follow it? So my best answer is we don´t know why the universe is infinite, maybe it is because it is all that exists.

Answer 9

because it exists in nothing.
space is created as the universe expands
without the visible and invisible matter and energy there would be no space

Answer 10

Well how do you think all the solar systems fit? I't needs lots of space.