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And to answer the questions you edited in, yes, there is an edge to the universe. It is the literal edge of time, the moment when everything was one and infinit
by dougmwne 4y ago
And to answer the questions you edited in, yes, there is an edge to the universe. It is the literal edge of time, the moment when everything was one and infinite (a singularity, we think). This edge is 13.8 billion light years in every direction. As we look far away and back in time, we can see the whole history of everything, from just after the universe cooled and expanded enough to be transparent to light, to the first protogalaxies and all the development of everything up until our very noses.
- SnowProblem 4y agoThank you for the answers. It's all amazing to think about. It seemed strange to me when reading your comment, for example, that the universe would look the same age in every direction. Why? Are we close to the center? And then it hit me (probably not for the first or last time): we can only see as far as light had time to travel here! In reality the universe just keeps going.
- SAI_Peregrinus 4y agoPossibly. The data is consistent with an infinite universe, that expanded, and so we can only see a finite portion of it (back to the CMB). It's also consistent with a finite universe, that expanded, and so we can only see a small portion of it...
- dougmwne 4y agoYup, we are at the center because we are the observer. Presumably everyone anywhere would appear to be at the center, just as you appear to be the center of your world and I appear to be the center of mine.