Where Is the Center of the Universe?

[hector9462]

there is something insade me telling me this theory is wrong

[seanbrockest]

I've seen this "The universe doesn't have a center" argument explained this Exact same way several times, and i still dont buy it.

The problem is this balloon explanation. It's not accurate, not even close, because the galaxies are NOT all on the edge of the universe.

Even if they were, there's still an edge to the universe. We know the size of the universe is approx 93 billion light years. Why cant we just say that the center is a 3d piont between the observable edges?

[SpitzerJim]

It's not a perfect analogy, and we all know that. The other common example is a loaf of raisin bread rising in the oven, pushing the raisins away from each other. That one is much harder to film, since we don't own a camera we can bake into a loaf of raisin bread and still get good pictures. :) Again, still not perfect, but may help if you need to think of it in three dimensions instead of 2.

[seanbrockest]

agreed, i LOVE the bread analogy, but i can measure a loaf of bread, and can pinpoint the center at any point. As the loaf grows, the center point moves, that's not hard to imagine.

why then do scientists keep saying there is NO center, rather than just saying where it is, but that it relatively moves as the universe expands and changes?

[SpitzerJim]

Yeah, that's only one of the problems with the bread analogy. (The other is that the amount of bread isn't changing, there's just more and more air being introduced into it.) As strange as it sounds, current evidence indicates that the Universe is *both* infinite and expanding. Exactly how that works remains a big mystery, and the subject of a lot of cosmological debate.

[anothergazman]

I think a better analogy is if you replace the balloon with an inner tube, you get the expansion without the center point. Obviously it's still not perfect but the way i look at it is like if the universe was a ball shape that is inverted leaving the outside at what would otherwise be the center of the expansion. not sure if that makes sense or is accurate but its one way for me of looking at the problem.

[SundaysCybele]

1:37 - 1:49

So does that mean the universe's expansion is accelerating?

[SpitzerJim]

That is the big unanswered question in cosmology right now.

[Edsan91]

I was wondering if it is expanding why is the andromeda galaxy gonna collide to us in the future? shouldnt it be going away? Now I am getting really confused. Same thing with other galaxies why are they colliding?

[SpitzerJim]

Basically, the gravity of the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy is stronger than the force of the expansion. Andromeda is, in astronomical terms, very close by, so there's less space to expand between us than there is between both galaxies and the distant Universe. So we're moving toward each other faster than we're being pushed apart.

[Edsan91]

I see! I was thinking that before I posted because it was very logical. Anyways thanks for the answer! And I was wondering spitzerjim I myself want to be an astronomer and work with the Hubble, Spitzer, and other telescopes in orbit! I also want to be an astronaut! Im 17 going to be 18 this september 20. What does it take to work with nasa in either an astronaut or astronomer! I have a dying passion for astronomy as I go out each clear night and study the night sky. Andromeda looks beutiful!

[SpitzerJim]

For both jobs, the most important thing is an education. All NASA astronomers have at least a Masters' and usually a Ph.D., and the same is true for the majority of astronauts. But, NASA hires folks with all sorts of backgrounds (my degree is in Classics and Theatre), so I say, study what you love!

[batista6224]

thats so awesome :D

5/5

[NAMLegolas]

0.o

So if the big crunch was to be true... the universe was to collapse everywhere but nowhere? hahahaha I never thought of asking my self where is the center of the universe... I guess to me the milkyway's core is much more interesting :D

See it didn't take you guys long this time! LOL :) no need for clones!

Heheheh

Lots of love! Good video thanks!

[SpitzerJim]

Obviously, we had both videos in production at the same time. :)  Thanks!