The Big Bang

[kwicky]

If this happened 15 billion years ago are we only able to to view galaxies on this side of the explosion or at some time in the future with better technology and a new Hubble telescope be able to see the receding galaxies on the other side?

[mibn2cweus]

Here in the middle of the visible universe we are apparently surrounded by the center of the explosion of the "Big Bang" about 13.7 billion years ago . . . that's right, scratch your head, but that is about as good as it gets for now. However, If that isn�t strange enough for you . . .

Although the universe is only a rather young (cosmologically speaking) 13.7 billion years of age, the fabric of space is expanding at a rate such that light departing from what are now the most distant regions of our universe will not arrive for another 46.5 billion years.

Seems as though the faster technology advances the further behind we find ourselves, but we will never have any less catching up to do than we do now!

[fairkatrina]

it gets better though, the Big Bang is only half of the theory (the famous half), the other bit is called the Big Shrink, and the theory states that all the particles in the universe contract into something smaller than a billion trillionth of an atom (or something stupid like that) and then blew up and expand, creating the universe, which then expands up to an uncertain point, at which point it shrinks down to a tiny dot and the whole thing begins again. Someone worked out that we were one our fifth or sixth 'Big Bang' but how I've no idea.
Also, as the whole universe was created from the bang, there are no 'sides' to it, we are technically in the middle of it, and for all intents and purposes it is still going on, as the universe is still expanding.

[kwicky]

Excuse me for my ignorance or lack of knowledge on the subject but I thought the Big Bang started from a cloud of matter, exploded and like a bomb we were thrown out into the cosmic wilderness and that we were still accelerating away from the explosion.

[mibn2cweus]

Originally there was no matter, there was only energy. Matter could not coalesce until energy had dispersed enough to cool down to temperatures that would allow the fundamental particles that form matter to stay together.

It took millions of years for things to finally cool down enough for gravity to accumulate large quantities of matter together so that fusion could begin, giving birth to the first stars. It is from the explosion of stars that the heavier elements created within them are dispersed, providing the essential building materials for the forms of life we observe.

The outward momentum initiated with the Big Band is still at work but there are factors, not yet understood, contributing to an evidently accelerating expansion of the universe.

This is all relatively new cutting edge science. Although we are obtaining a lot of evidence about what has and is happening with the universe many questions remain. Several experiments are underway the outcome of which will contribute to our understanding of this very strange universe that we inhabit. It wasn�t that long ago in terms of human history the we believed the universe revolved around us but at long as we are not afraid to confront our fate, it has all been good news, imho.

If after all this you are now asleep and enjoying your nap, your welcome!