Fate of the Universe

[calicoco]

Does the vast majority of scientific evidence (theoretical and experimental) show that the expansion of the universe is speeding up? If so, is there any reason to believe that it would ever slow down?<br /><br />Or will it just keep expanding forever?

 

[MeteorWayne]

As it is currently understood, the expansion will continue to speed up to the point where eventually no other galaxies will be visible from the Milky Way.<br /><br />Welcome to Space.com!<br /><br />Wayne <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[kyle_baron]

Welcome to SDC. There are no firm conclusions. Dark matter could eventually slow the acceleration, trillions of years in the future, causing our gravitational membrane, and a parlallel membrane to collide, from as far away as 1 planck length (10 -33cm). <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="4"><strong></strong></font></p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

Currently "Dark Energy" (whatever it is) is vastly overwhelming "Dark Matter" (whatever it is). The speed of expansion is increasing and there's nothing to suggest that it will change. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[lukman]

try this:<br /><br />https://www.nasm.si.edu/exploretheuniverse/kiosks/Fate/fate.htm <br /><br />http://www-astronomy.mps.ohio-state.edu/~ryden/ast162_10/notes42.html <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[weeman]

As of right now, many scientists believe that the amount of visible matter in the universe is not enough to stop the expansion. However, in the future, if we calculate that there is enough dark matter to overcome the expansion, then the universe may very well be doomed to collapse.<br /><br />As for now, the universe appears to be speeding up with no end in sight. We can tell this because the intensity of the redshifts of galaxies becomes stronger and stronger the farther we look into space. It is hypothesized that some day the expansion will reach such a high velocity, and space will become so vast, that the universe will go dark. In otherwords, we will no longer be able to see visible light from any galaxies, and they will have become so redshifted that our Earthly instruments will no longer be able to detect them. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><strong><font color="#ff0000">Techies: We do it in the dark. </font></strong></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>"Put your hand on a stove for a minute and it seems like an hour. Sit with that special girl for an hour and it seems like a minute. That's relativity.</strong><strong>" -Albert Einstein </strong></font></p> </div>

 

[robnissen]

The expansion of the universe was slowing for the first few billion years or so, and then began speeding up IIRC around 8 billion years ago. But since we have no idea why it sped up, we have no idea if it is going to continue to speed up. It could continue to speed up, forever or start slowing down tomorrow, no one knows. Everything right now is merely conjecture and speculation.

 

[ashish27]

The Universe is a mysterious place....

 

[weeman]

<font color="yellow"> It could continue to speed up, forever or start slowing down tomorrow, no one knows. </font><br /><br />Maybe it has already begun to collapse and the light from the collapsing universe hasn't reached us yet. What if we are able to exist for another 1-2 billion years, we might one day witness distant galaxies becoming more and more blueshifted! <br /><br />Could this be possible? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><strong><font color="#ff0000">Techies: We do it in the dark. </font></strong></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>"Put your hand on a stove for a minute and it seems like an hour. Sit with that special girl for an hour and it seems like a minute. That's relativity.</strong><strong>" -Albert Einstein </strong></font></p> </div>