Question What if?

[dtmiller]

What if the universe is not expanding as we think, but rather is collapsing? If the universe was being sucked back into the singularity we think it came from, wouldn't all the other galaxies appear to be moving away from us? Those closer to the singularity would be moving towards it faster than us and we would be moving away from the galaxies further from it since we were closer than they to the singularity. The galaxies that were the same distance from the singularity as us would appear to be moving closer since we would both be getting funneled in at the same rate. Any thoughts?

 

[EjmMissouri]

Nope. You are thinking in terms of galaxies moving through space toward or away from a fixed point. In a contracting universe galaxies in general would appear from our prespective to be moving toward us as space between the galaxies diminish. The apparernt movements of the galaxies would only be a reflection the contraction of space itself.

Then there is the dark sky problem. The only way to have a dark sky at night is to have an expanding universe.

 

[dtmiller]

Nope. You are thinking in terms of galaxies moving through space toward or away from a fixed point. In a contracting universe galaxies in general would appear from our prespective to be moving toward us as space between the galaxies diminish. The apparernt movements of the galaxies would only be a reflection the contraction of space itself.


But the galaxies closer to the singularity would be moving towards it faster than us and those further away would be moving towards it more slowly than us. Both would appear to be moving away from us.

Then there is the dark sky problem. The only way to have a dark sky at night is to have an expanding universe.

This I do not understand at all. Please explain what you mean.

 

[Ittiz]

I've thought of this before. What if everything with gravity and contracting at higher and higher speeds rather than empty space expanding? I haven't worked out the math but I'm pretty sure it would be indistinguishable from expansion.