The Edge of the Universe???

[space_coops]

Hi all, im new.<br /><br />I was wondering if there is an edge to the Universe? And if so, what would theoretically happen if you tried to stick your arm beyond the "edge"?<br /><br />I guess that because the Big Bang happened everywhere and not at a point in space (as its commonly misinterpreted) then the expansion is ripping all galaxys and the space inbetween apart and is happening everywhere then there cant be a centre (i guess).<br /><br />So im just trying to visualise if there could be an edge if there is no centre. <br /><br />Any help would be appreciated.

 

[doubletruncation]

Hi, and welcome to SDC!<br /><br />It's a good question. In all cosmological models that I know of, space itself doesn't have an edge. It's either infinite, or if its finite then it loops back on itself in some way (keep going in any direction you'll eventually come back to where you left off). Because the universe is of finite age, and because the speed of light is finite, there is an observational "edge" to the universe in the sense that beyond a certain distance objects are too far away for their light to have travelled to us since the big bang. That edge, however, depends on the observer (at any given moment each observer in the universe would measure the same distance to her edge). Sometimes this is referred to the Horizon, and people will talk about the size of the universe with this in mind. The horizon is always increasing as time goes on. In some cosmological models the laws of physics change from place to place, in most of space the laws are such that the universe in those regions is being rapidly ripped apart (inflation), however there appear randomly in space bubbles where the laws take on other values (like the values they have in our region of the universe). In these theories the bubbles can actually have an edge, however that edge is rapidly expanding outwards faster than you could ever move so that you wouldn't be able to stick your arm out the edge of the bubble into a region where the laws of physics wouldn't allow for arms. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[why06]

This also a post right by yours called does space end I would check it out first.<br /><br />Welcome <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div>________________________________________ <br /></div><div><ul><li><font color="#008000"><em>your move...</em></font></li></ul></div> </div>