How old is the observable universe?
While some of the smartest scientists in the world have been working for decades to pin down an age for the universe, it’s still an elusive number and subject to hearty disagreement. The most commonly cited estimates are between 12 billion and 15 billion years. Estimates come by finding distant sources of light (a star or galaxy 10 billion light-years away is 10 billion years old). But the estimates also depend on the rate at which the observable universe is expanding, which in turn is related to its exact composition and evolution. And evidence presented in the past couple of years tells us the pace of expansion is actually accelerating. This unexpected discovery has only served to further confuse things, because no one can figure out what is causing this acceleration. Researchers speculate that it might be the result of some strange and unknown matter or energy whose force of gravity repels, rather than attracts, over long distances. All the confusion aside, Sweitzer, like any good s
Related Questions
- Can it be estimated how big the universe is, not just the observable part? Based on the rate of expansion, can astronomers make a guess as to how much universe exists?
- Is the age of the observable universe a homogenious 13.7 billion years throughout?
- What is the relationship between the observable universe and the entire universe?
