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center of the universe?

Gooberlx2

Gooberlx2

Lifer
Do scientists have any clue as to its whereabouts? I've always wondered where the Milky Way was positioned in relation to it.
 
If the universe is infinite then how can you define a center?

Edit:

Was in the middle of getting ready for class so I wasn't clear. I'm not saying that the universe is infinite it was really just another question.

I haven't seen any evidence that scientists have found what they believe to be the center of the universe but like you guys have already said if the universe is expanding, which is pretty much a given, then it had to start from some point at the time of the big bang.

What I do find interesting though is the fact that all galaxies that we can see in any direction have a spectral shift that indicates it is moving away from us a very high velocity.

That would kind of indicate that we are at the center but I highly doubt that. It seems that all points in space are moving away from each other which again still leads to difficulty in defing an actual center.
 
Originally posted by: aves2k
If the universe is infinite then how can you define a center?
Click to expand...

because of the expanding univese theory, if the big bang occured it had to occur somewhere and the expansion would be travveling away from it (the center).
 
Since the universe is expanding, it has boundaries that are expanding toward infinity, it's not infinite at any moment.
 
Originally posted by: aves2k
If the universe is infinite then how can you define a center?
Click to expand...

But I didn't think it was infinite. I thought most scientists thought it was a finite blob shape, or even doughnut (sp?) shaped.

[edit] Yeah because of the expanding/contracting theories [/edit]
 
Yes, I think they have a good idea of where it is... this is like NOVA or Scientific American type stuff... mebbe you'll get a better answer if this gets moved to Highly Technicial.

They say there are some very interesting things near the center... it's all just astrophysics to me. 😱
 
It's fun that they determined that it's increasing in velocity, and eventually you'll never be able to see across it as it gets increasingly faster.

I wish aliens would land and give me a ride across it. Battlefield 1942 is getting boring.
 
Sometimes my wife thinks she's the center of the universe. I don't mind though, when she gets like that I just go hang out in the restaurant at the edge of the universe. Keeps me out of trouble that way. 😉
 
according to the bible it's earth (snicker). oh that's right, it's not saying it literally (suuuure).
 
Can't answer the first question but as to the second: Milky Way is somewhere halfway from the origin of big bang and the edge of the universe. That's of course if the big bang theory is true.
 
I know there's evidence for an expanding universe, but what I can't really grasp is how it is expanding. What is it expanding into? Usually when you think of something expanding, it is contained within something, but the universe is not contained, it's supposed to be "everything". or the question would be, how is there room to expand, is there "nothingness" outside the universe, is there an outside?
well now that I'm in a mode of crazy talk here's another one, what causes the big bang in the first place? I can't see how the energy can just appear out of nothing, I can't really imagine true nothingness come to think of it.
So I will just say that at the center of the universe is a large cow, named bessie. m00
 
Originally posted by: everman
I know there's evidence for an expanding universe, but what I can't really grasp is how it is expanding. What is it expanding into? Usually when you think of something expanding, it is contained within something, but the universe is not contained, it's supposed to be "everything". or the question would be, how is there room to expand, is there "nothingness" outside the universe, is there an outside?
well now that I'm in a mode of crazy talk here's another one, what causes the big bang in the first place? I can't see how the energy can just appear out of nothing, I can't really imagine true nothingness come to think of it.
So I will just say that at the center of the universe is a large cow, named bessie. m00
Click to expand...

Questions I wonder myself, that of course cannot be answered. So masochistic, this pursuit of knowledge.
As far as the milky way being the center of the universe, or the origin of the 'big bang' theory (I like the rubber-band theory better) there would be evidence to suggest that the milky way is the oldest 'stuff' in the universe. On the contrary, however, there are many older areas, hence knowledge of the star's life cycle and such.
 
Originally posted by: everman
I know there's evidence for an expanding universe, but what I can't really grasp is how it is expanding. What is it expanding into? Usually when you think of something expanding, it is contained within something, but the universe is not contained, it's supposed to be "everything". or the question would be, how is there room to expand, is there "nothingness" outside the universe, is there an outside?
well now that I'm in a mode of crazy talk here's another one, what causes the big bang in the first place? I can't see how the energy can just appear out of nothing, I can't really imagine true nothingness come to think of it.
So I will just say that at the center of the universe is a large cow, named bessie. m00
Click to expand...

The universe is expanding into nothing. Quite literally. Theoretically there is a divisor (constantly moving outwards, of course) where on one side there is space and our laws of physics, etc and on the other there is absolutely nothing.

As for the big bang you are asking one of the hardest questions of physics. Nobody has the answer. Perhaps, if the universe is closed, as everything condenses back down to one infinitely small point the last piece of matter (or energy) triggers the explosion?
 
Originally posted by: aves2k
If the universe is infinite then how can you define a center?

Edit:

Was in the middle of getting ready for class so I wasn't clear. I'm not saying that the universe is infinite it was really just another question.

I haven't seen any evidence that scientists have found what they believe to be the center of the universe but like you guys have already said if the universe is expanding, which is pretty much a given, then it had to start from some point at the time of the big bang.

What I do find interesting though is the fact that all galaxies that we can see in any direction have a spectral shift that indicates it is moving away from us a very high velocity.

That would kind of indicate that we are at the center but I highly doubt that. It seems that all points in space are moving away from each other which again still leads to difficulty in defing an actual center.
Click to expand...

The universe could be finite and still not have a center. You're thinking 3 dimensionally. Imagine the outer line of the circle, and the circle is getting bigger, which represents the universe, and the radius line is getting longer, and that represents time. But then the circle representation is of 3 (actually I think 6) dimensions. Now follow the circle, you will go around it infinitely although it is finite. So my theory is that if you travel in any one direction for long enough, you'll end up back where you started. Then there is the whole complexity of dimensional density in the fabric of spacetime that connects the universe together. My theory is that as you get into deep space away from gravitational warping, travel becomes relatively faster... in other words, the universe is younger than we think, scientists are making calculations based on observations of space within our own solar system as a point of comparative reference, which in my opinion is wrong...
 
Originally posted by: rubix
according to the bible it's earth (snicker). oh that's right, it's not saying it literally (suuuure).
Click to expand...

The bible never declares the earth as center you goof.
 
Originally posted by: aves2k
If the universe is infinite then how can you define a center?

Edit:

Was in the middle of getting ready for class so I wasn't clear. I'm not saying that the universe is infinite it was really just another question.

I haven't seen any evidence that scientists have found what they believe to be the center of the universe but like you guys have already said if the universe is expanding, which is pretty much a given, then it had to start from some point at the time of the big bang.

What I do find interesting though is the fact that all galaxies that we can see in any direction have a spectral shift that indicates it is moving away from us a very high velocity.

That would kind of indicate that we are at the center but I highly doubt that. It seems that all points in space are moving away from each other which again still leads to difficulty in defing an actual center.
Click to expand...

It would be easy to find the center. All you need is a really big compass, a huge ruler, and an extremely large pencil.
 
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