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An Explanation on the Universe

The universe comprises everything that exists. It's the sum total of time, space, matter, and energy that began expanding 13.8 billion years ago and hasn't stopped since. No one knows how big the Universe really is, and no one knows how it will ultimately end. However, over the course of human history, continual inquiry and study have taught us a great lot.

Introduction: 

According to scientific data, the universe began somewhere between 10 and 20 billion years ago. Those who research the evolution of the cosmos, galaxies, and stars agree that the Big Bang theory is the cause of the universe’s creation. The Big Bang theory does not explain what caused this explosion. Although there are many theories about the cause, it must be treated as unknown at this time.

Origin of the Universe: 

The most well-supported theory for the creation of our universe revolves around an event known as the big bang. The discovery that other galaxies are rapidly moving away from our own in all directions as if propelled by a powerful ancient explosive force gave rise to the big-bang theory. 

According to the big-bang theory, the cosmos was created from an endlessly dense and hot core of the matter. The title signifies that all matter and space expanded explosively outward, resulting in the formation of atoms. Hydrogen makes up around 74% of all matter in the universe, according to spectroscopy. The universe has been expanding for 13.8 billion years since its inception, and recent observations imply that the pace of expansion is accelerating.

However, some claim that the Big Bang theory is predicated on a faulty premise: that the cosmos is made up of ever-expanding space-time. They imply a static world, which Einstein’s theory of general relativity predicted at the time. Einstein’s theory was only later revised to account for the apparent expansion of the cosmos.

Current Cosmology: 

  1. Stars: The energy released by nuclear processes heats the surface of a star to incandescence (fusion). The balance between the inward force of gravity and the outward pressure of expansion due to nuclear fusion determines the size and temperature of a star.
  2. Galaxies: Galaxies are massive clumps of dust, gas, dark matter, and anything between a million and a trillion stars held together by gravity. Supermassive black holes are expected to exist at the centers of nearly all big galaxies. According to one estimate, there are two trillion or two million million galaxies in the observable universe.
  3. Planetary Systems: Planets orbiting giant, medium, and small stars have been discovered. Some planets can be found in binary systems and even in multi-star systems. Smaller bodies than planets are expected to be common in planetary systems, as seen in the solar system with moons, minor planets, asteroids, and comets. Life is most likely to exist on planets, although it is also feasible on moons. Planets are the most likely places for life to exist, however, there are a few lone planets that orbit no star at all.

Elliptical Orbits: 

The ellipse’s ‘eccentricity’ tells us how flattened it is. The eccentricity of an ellipse is closest to one when it is flattened. A perfectly circular orbit has an eccentricity of 0 and is not flattened in any way. Thus, elliptical orbits mean having an eccentricity between 0 and 1. 

The “focus” of an ellipse is a point that is slightly off-center. The ellipse’s central point is the Sun. In every orbit, the planet moves closer to and further away from the Sun because the Sun is at the focus, not the center, of the ellipse.

In the early 17th century, a German astronomer named Johannes Kepler discovered numerous fundamental orbital rules. Planets have elliptical orbits, according to Kepler’s First Law of Planetary Motion. When planets are close to the Sun (near the Sun), his Second Law describes how they move quicker.

Expanding Universe: 

Theoretical concerns and astronomical observations both posed challenges to the static model of the universe. When Einstein published his General Theory of Relativity in 1915 its idea was applied to the cosmos, it meant that space would expand and the universe would begin.

Meanwhile, in 1868, the English astronomer William Huggins noticed that some stars’ light was altered toward longer wavelengths (the redshift). The Doppler effect, which may also be seen with sound, is an example of the redshift. Furthermore, Hubble found that galaxies that were farther away from Earth had more redshift, indicating that they were moving away from us quickly. The only way to make sense of this is to assume that the universe is still expanding. The big-bang idea is based on Hubble’s observation.

The fate of the Universe:

There are two probable situations, according to scientists. One possibility is that the universe will collapse again, reversing the Big Bang. The other possibility is that it will continue to develop indefinitely, eventually becoming chilly and dark. Our knowledge of the nature of this mysterious substance could help us answer the question of the universe’s ultimate fate. The weight of evidence suggests that the cosmos will continue to expand indefinitely.

Conclusion: 

According to scientists, the universe began around fifteen billion years ago with the Big Bang. The cosmos should continue to expand indefinitely, getting colder and darker as it does so. Given the changes in the last one hundred years, scientists’ models of the cosmos are likely to continue to evolve as new discoveries are made.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Get answers to the most common queries related to the UPSC Preparation.

What is the relevance of the 'Big Bang Theory?’

Ans. The origin of the universe.

State the type of galaxy the Milky Way is and why?

Ans. Spiral Galaxy because it is disc-shaped.

What is the evidence of the expanding universe?

Ans. Redshift

How old is the Universe?

Ans. The universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old.