Is space expanding?

[danyopizzle]

Someone told me that space was expanding, scientists have a theory that because the galaxys are moving space is expanding... why? what if it will compress at one point? anyone know anything about this?

 

[scomil39]

I believe it was back in the 1920's around the time Edwin Hubble was doing his ground breaking work that astronomers first noticed and subsequently began measuring the red shift that charachterises the spectra of distant objects in space. This shift toward the low end of the spectrum has sense been attributed to the doppler effect. The expansion is believed to be the natural result of the big bang which propelled everything outward from all points in all directions. The illustration of yeast rising in an oven is often used to charachterize the nature of the universe's expansion.<br /><br />As to the question of will it ever reverse itself and begin contraction. I believe the current thinking is that if there is enough matter in the universe to create the requisite gravatational strength then someday expansion will halt and contraction will take over. Right now astronomers are unsure of this. They are trying to deduce the nature of so called dark matter. Know one is sure exactly what this is but once it is understood it may shed some light on the question of weather the universe will ever begin contracting.<br /><br />This has been a rough overview minus a few details. You might get a much more accurate answer over in the space science forum. <br /><br />Scot<br />

 

[danyopizzle]

its all so very interesting, thx for summarizing it for me <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> im so very freaking interested in space its all so complex and contemplative coneecting to more more