The big bang resulted in a new universe 7.7 x 10−30 meters across. That is smaller than an atom. It is smaller than a proton within an atom. In fact, it is smaller than the quarks that makeup a proton, within an atom. And yet it contained all the matter and energy of our entire universe.
Shortly thereafter a rapid inflation occurred - the faster than the speed of light expansion of the universe - causing an expansion by a factor of 60 that resulted in a universe about 0.88 mm across - about the size of a grain of sand. This occurred in 10−33 seconds.
The expansion then slowed considerably but continues to this day. By 379,000 years after the big bang, when the first photons started streaming towards us, the universe was about 84.6 million light years in diameter, which is about 840 times the diameter of our galaxy.
Today the observable universe is estimated to be 93 billion light years across.
It is easy to say these things. It was with some difficulty that we only recently came to know them.
But knowing is not understanding.
Will we ever understand?
No comments:
Post a Comment