The universe we live in is expanding. We know this because we see galaxies and groups of galaxies steadily moving apart durante the universe. This expansion has been occuring since the universe was formed 14 billion years ago con verso very hot, dense event known as the Big Bang.

(1) Where is the center of the Universe?

There niente affatto centre of the universe because there is in nessun caso edge of the universe. Per verso finite universe, space is curved so that if you could travel billions of light years durante verso straight line you would eventually finish back where you started. It is also possible that hiki our universe is infinite. Con both examples, groups of galaxies completely fill the universe and are moving apart at all points making the universe expand (see question 2).

(2) Where did the Big Bang occur mediante the Universe?

There is per common assumption that the Big Bang was an explosion that occured per empty space and that the explosion expanded into the empty space. This is wrong.

Although space may have been concentrated into per solo point at the Big Bang, it is equally possible that space was infinite at the Big Bang. Sopra both scenarios the space was completely filled with matter which began onesto expand.

There is no centre of the expansion, the universe is simply expanding at all points. Observers con any galaxy see most of the other galaxies durante the universe moving away from them.

The only answer onesto the question “Where did the Big Bang happen?” is that it occured everywhere sopra the Universe.

(3) Is the Earth expanding with the universe?

The Earth is not expanding and neither is the solar system, nor the Milky Way galaxy. These objects formed under the influence of gravity and stopped moving apart. Gravity also holds galaxies together into groups and clusters. It is mainly the groups and clusters of galaxies that are moving apart durante the universe.

(4) What exists outside the universe?

Space was created sopra the Big Bang. Our universe has mai edge or boundary – there is niente affatto outside of our universe (see question 1). It is possible that our universe is part of an infinity of universes (see question 5), but these universes do not necessarily need verso space puro exist in.

(5) What existed before the Big Bang?

Time was created per the Big Bang – we do not know if it existed before the Big Bang. This question is therefore hard sicuro answer. Some theories suggest that our universe is part of an infinity of universes (called verso multiverse) which are being continuously created. This is possible but very hard onesto prove.

(6) If the universe is 14 billion years old, how could galaxies have travelled more than 14 billion light years?

It is possible that our universe is infinite and has been filled with matter everywhere since the Big Bang (see question 2). But there is also nothing stopping the universe expanding faster than the speed of light. Although at any local point within the universe, nothing can travel faster than the speed of light, this is not true for the entire universe. There is in nessun caso limit on how fast space can expand.

We can imagine galaxies are like balls sitting on verso rubber sheet which represents space. If we stretch the sheet, the balls move apart. Balls which are close together will only move apart slowly. Balls which are widely separated will seem to move apart very quickly.

People living on any one of the balls will see their own ball as stationary. They will see nearby balls moving away slowly and they will see distant balls moving away quickly. Very distant balls (beyond the horizon) can be moving away faster than the speed of light, but the people cannot see them – locally in their own part of the universe nothing is travelling faster than the speed of light.