Science
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(51,974 posts)GeorgeGist
(25,294 posts)Age of the Universe: 13.798 billion years
jollyreaper2112
(1,941 posts)But we don't know how far the unobservable universe goes out for.
gcomeau
(5,764 posts)DetlefK
(16,423 posts)From "edge" to "edge" it's more than 14 billion lightyears, because the space inbetween has been expanding in the meantime when the light is emitted and when it arrives.
gcomeau
(5,764 posts)If you're just talking about the current estimated size of the observable universe at least... of course if today you fired off light towards where that edge is by the time it got there it wouldn't be the edge anymore, so it would actually take longer than that. A lot longer.
Cicada
(4,533 posts)The universe - space itself - is expanding and that expansion is not limited to the speed of light. Our best guess is that the edge of the universe is receding from us at faster than the speed of light. So in the future almost everything will be too far away to have sent out light we will see. So future scientists will probably think they are alone in the universe.
oldandhappy
(6,719 posts)Great set of stats. Thanks.
Have to confess I'd never considered how long it takes for light to travel to Pluto, smile. Have heard a lot about light from the stars. Tis all fascinating and I like new info. Thanks, again.
Lint Head
(15,064 posts)I do not say that in a spiritual or metaphysical sense. My theory comes from the idea that for something to be created, either by nature or mankind, there has to be a substance from which that creation arises. Be it energy, carbon or whatever. Dark matter and dark energy are still mysteries even though we known it is there. We know it is there and it's called "dark" because we do not known exactly what it consists of.
I believe in the Big Bang but I think there had to be a combination interaction that was a catalyst to cause something the size of a pea to expand into the known universe. Multi-universes is a good theory but I think there is more to it. If there are multi-universes layered on top or all around ours then they are possibly being created all the time and have been created forever and always.
A mathematical concept cannot exist without zero. "Nothing from nothing is nothing." I known that is a song and a philosophical idea but I think the idea of "nothing" is incorrect if one believes that there is dark matter. I believe there is always "something". Even if it is defined as "zero". Zero is something. Minus zero and less is something.
Note that I am saying I "believe". Belief can lead to a theory, then scientific proof or not, but it can also lead to spiritual pie in the sky magic. Which does not exist.