Let us state first that since the Big Bang started "everywhere" and thus the universe has no "center" other than what we arbitrarily designate, let's just arbitrarily position Earth as the center and, relatively, the apparent edge of the universe is what we wish to find.
1. If we accept that the age of the universe is around 14 billion years ago, the relative distance of the edge from us due to the speed of light is A.
2. The Hubble Constant describes the complimentarity of doppler shift and distance from observer. At a certain distance from the observer, the doppler shift is infinitely shifted to the red, ie. zero frequency. Call this distance B.
Question: Does A=B, A>B, or A<B?
The edge of the universe
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Enola Straight
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The edge of the universe
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Xenophobe3691
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B is what happens when you go the speed of light. Lousy relativity equations...
And if the universe is really bent hyperdimensionally and closed, then the center is nowhere we can see. It would be, to paraphrase Chuck in the FUQ, somewheres at right angles to reality.
And if the universe is really bent hyperdimensionally and closed, then the center is nowhere we can see. It would be, to paraphrase Chuck in the FUQ, somewheres at right angles to reality.
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Cthulhu-chan
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Wouldn't the "center" be at a right angle to 4-space regardless of whether the universe is closed, open or flat? Bah, wish I knew more about higher dimensional topologies...
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Enola Straight
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I believe I must clarify condition B.
The farther away a star or galaxy is from us, the faster it is receding. At a certain distance, its relative velocity is c, the speed of light.
THIS is the edge of the observable universe.
So is the observable and actual edges equal or not?
The farther away a star or galaxy is from us, the faster it is receding. At a certain distance, its relative velocity is c, the speed of light.
THIS is the edge of the observable universe.
So is the observable and actual edges equal or not?
Masochist to Sadist: "Hurt me."
Sadist to Masochist: "No."
Sadist to Masochist: "No."
Re: The edge of the universe
The edge due to the expansion of the universe (hubble constant) is essentially an event horizon. Its distance is dependant on the rate of expansion of the universe. If the universe's expansion accelerates (as most think it will) then it will continually get closer.
he expansion rate is supposed to be dependant on the amount of negative energy in the universe and the associated event horizon doesn't necessarily coincide with the big bang (ie not necessarily 14 billion light years away).
With hubble they apparently have looked back to less than a billion years after the big bang, near the limit known as the "dark age", a point where interstellar hydrogen isn't ionized, and light get's absorbed, and looking past that is impossible as there is no light to see.
Neglecting the 'dark ages', I don't think its possible to look all the way back to the big bang as you'll encounter the event horizon before you encounter the big bang.
he expansion rate is supposed to be dependant on the amount of negative energy in the universe and the associated event horizon doesn't necessarily coincide with the big bang (ie not necessarily 14 billion light years away).
With hubble they apparently have looked back to less than a billion years after the big bang, near the limit known as the "dark age", a point where interstellar hydrogen isn't ionized, and light get's absorbed, and looking past that is impossible as there is no light to see.
Neglecting the 'dark ages', I don't think its possible to look all the way back to the big bang as you'll encounter the event horizon before you encounter the big bang.