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The Day We Found The Universe

Enrique Blair

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Published in Marcia Bartusiak

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The cosmos is a vast and mysterious place, filled with wonders that have captivated humanity for centuries. From the earliest stargazers to modern-day scientists, we have always sought to understand our place in the universe and to unravel its secrets. One of the most significant milestones in this quest was the discovery of the expanding universe, a revelation that revolutionized our understanding of the cosmos and forever changed our view of our place within it.

Edwin Hubble and the Expanding Universe

The Day We Found the Universe

by Marcia Bartusiak

4.8 out of 5

Language	:	English
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The story of the expanding universe begins with Edwin Hubble, an American astronomer who made groundbreaking observations in the early 20th century. Using the 100-inch Hooker telescope at Mount Wilson Observatory in California, Hubble studied the light coming from distant galaxies and made two remarkable discoveries.

Redshift and Distance

First, Hubble noticed that the light from distant galaxies was redshifted, meaning that its wavelength was shifted towards the red end of the spectrum. The amount of redshift increased with the distance of the galaxy, suggesting that the galaxies were moving away from us. This phenomenon is known as the Hubble redshift-distance relation.

The Expansion of Space

Hubble's second discovery was even more profound. He realized that the redshift of distant galaxies was not just caused by the Doppler effect of their motion, but also by the expansion of space itself. In other words, the universe was not static, but was constantly expanding, carrying the galaxies away from each other.

**The Big Bang Theory

Hubble's discoveries provided strong evidence for the Big Bang theory, which posits that the universe began as a singularity, a point of infinite density and temperature. About 13.8 billion years ago, the singularity exploded in a cataclysmic event called the Big Bang, creating the universe as we know it.

Implications of an Expanding Universe

The discovery of the expanding universe had profound implications for our understanding of the cosmos. It showed that the universe is not eternal, but has a finite age and a beginning. It also revealed that the universe is much larger than previously thought, with galaxies stretching across vast distances and beyond the limits of our observable universe.

**The Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation

Another important piece of evidence for the Big Bang theory came from the discovery of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation. This faint glow of radiation, which pervades the entire universe, is a remnant of the Big Bang and provides a snapshot of the early universe. The CMB has been extensively studied and has confirmed many of the predictions of the Big Bang theory.

Dark Matter and Dark Energy

Further observations have revealed that only about 5% of the universe is made up of ordinary matter, while the remaining 95% is composed of mysterious substances known as dark matter and dark energy. Dark matter is thought to be a type of matter that does not interact with light, and dark energy is a mysterious force that is causing the expansion of the universe to accelerate.

The Continuing Quest

The discovery of the expanding universe has been one of the greatest scientific breakthroughs of all time. It has given us a new understanding of our place in the cosmos and has opened up new frontiers for exploration. As we continue to probe the depths of space with more powerful telescopes and instruments, we are unraveling even more mysteries and gaining a deeper appreciation for the vastness and complexity of our universe.

The day we found the universe was a pivotal moment in human history. It was the day we realized that we are part of something much larger than ourselves, something that is constantly expanding and evolving. The discovery of the expanding universe has sparked a sense of wonder and curiosity in us, and continues to inspire us to explore the unknown and to seek answers to the fundamental questions about our existence.

The Day We Found the Universe

by Marcia Bartusiak

4.8 out of 5