Where does the Universe come from?
No one knows for sure where the universe came from, however there are many theories that concern the creation of the universe. The two main and common scientific theories are:
- Steady State Theory
- Big Bang Theory
- Steady State Theory
- Big Bang Theory
Steady State Theory
The Steady State Theory is one of the most common scientific theories of how the Universe began and is also referred to as the Infinite Universe Theory or Continuous Creation.
The term ‘steady state’ means a stable condition that does not change over time or in which change in one direction is continually balanced by change in another. This theory states that the universe is always expanding but the density of the matter is constant. A steady state universe has no beginning or end in time.
Edwin Hubble found evidence that the universe was expanding. Scientists that supported this theory said that the universe is still expanding and to balance the density in the universe new matter is being created.
The Steady State Theory was first discovered by Sir James Jeans, approximately 1920 and in 1948 was revised by Hermann Bondi and Thomas Gold. The Steady State Theory was further developed by Sir Fred Hoyle and he tried to fix the problems that had come about in connection with the Big Bang Theory.
Even though the Steady State Theory started off popular in the first half of the 20th century, it is now unsupported by a majority of professional cosmologists and scientists. This is because evidence shows that the universe began more like the Big Bang Theory. This was found out in the late 1960’s, when observations supported that the universe was changing.
There are several problems and arguments the Steady State Theory. This theory ignores one of the laws of physics, which is the law of conservation of matter and energy, this law states “matter and energy are interchangeable and can change between forms, but the total amount of matter and energy in the universe must remain constant. It can be neither be created nor destroyed.”
The Steady State Theory, also known as Infinite Universe Theory or Continuous Creation Theory is a common theory discussing how the universe started.
Big Bang Theory
The term ‘steady state’ means a stable condition that does not change over time or in which change in one direction is continually balanced by change in another. This theory states that the universe is always expanding but the density of the matter is constant. A steady state universe has no beginning or end in time.
Edwin Hubble found evidence that the universe was expanding. Scientists that supported this theory said that the universe is still expanding and to balance the density in the universe new matter is being created.
The Steady State Theory was first discovered by Sir James Jeans, approximately 1920 and in 1948 was revised by Hermann Bondi and Thomas Gold. The Steady State Theory was further developed by Sir Fred Hoyle and he tried to fix the problems that had come about in connection with the Big Bang Theory.
Even though the Steady State Theory started off popular in the first half of the 20th century, it is now unsupported by a majority of professional cosmologists and scientists. This is because evidence shows that the universe began more like the Big Bang Theory. This was found out in the late 1960’s, when observations supported that the universe was changing.
There are several problems and arguments the Steady State Theory. This theory ignores one of the laws of physics, which is the law of conservation of matter and energy, this law states “matter and energy are interchangeable and can change between forms, but the total amount of matter and energy in the universe must remain constant. It can be neither be created nor destroyed.”
The Steady State Theory, also known as Infinite Universe Theory or Continuous Creation Theory is a common theory discussing how the universe started.
Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory is one of the most popular theories discussing how the Universe began. Today, it is a theory that most scientists believe in. According to this theory the universe began 13.7 billion years ago and it was all contained in one singularity. Singularities exist at the core of black holes; these are areas of intense gravitational pressure. It is a point of infinite destiny and infinitesimal volume.
The Big Bang Theory states that after the singularity’s initial appearance it inflated (the Big Bang), expanded and cooled. The singularity started extremely small and hot to the current size and temperature of our universe today and continues to expand. Physicists also think that time began with the Big Bang Theory.
In the early 1900’s the majority of people thought the universe was fixed in size. It was until Einstein, in 1915, came up with a theory that described the nature of space, time and gravity. This famous theory was called the general relativity theory. In 1917, Willem de Sitter showed that the universe could be expanding by applying the theory to the whole universe.
The proposer of the big Bang theory was Georges Lemaitre and first suggested it in the 1920s. He believed the Universe began from a single primordial atom.
The Big Bang theory does have the most evidence supporting it. The main points of evidence for this theory are:
1. Expansion of Universe
Astronomer Vesto Slipher found out that there were more galaxies moving away from our galaxy rather than moving towards it. This was found out around the same time period as others discovered our universe was expanding. By looking at the spectrum of its light, Astronomers can tell whether a galaxy is moving closer or further away from us. If the galaxy is approaching the spectrum is shifted toward shorter wavelength, this is called blueshift. If the galaxy is moving further away, the spectrum is shifted toward longer wavelength, this is known as redshift. Astronomer Vesto Slipher discovered more galaxies with a redshift spectrum compared to those with a blueshift spectrum. This means Slipher found more galaxies moving away from our galaxy rather than towards it. This evidence does prove that the universe is expanding.
2. The Hubble Constant
Edwin Hubble, a famous scientist discovered in 1929 that farther galaxies are travelling away from us at higher speeds compared to their distance, which means more distant galaxies had spectra with higher redshifts. Hubble discovered that the expansion of the galaxies was proportional to the distance light travelled. Therefore the universe started smaller and has been expanding, and will continue to.
Edwin Hubble was able to measure the velocity in which a universe travelled including the distance a galaxy is from our galaxy.
3. The Doppler Effect
The Doppler Effect, also known as shift was discovered in 1842 by Christian Doppler. It is the change in wavelength of radiation, light or sound from an object. The Doppler Effect for a moving sound source states that small wavelength is when sound is closer to a source; it takes a short travel time to reach it. Long wavelength is when the sound is farther away and it has a longer travelling distance to reach the source.
There are many problems and arguments with the Big Bang Theory, such as:
· Where did all the matter in the universe come from?
· This theory ignores the first rule of Thermodynamics that says, “matter cannot be created or destroyed”
· The Big Bang Theory ignores the second rule of Thermodynamics that states, “everything tends towards disorder”
The Big Bang Theory is one of the most popular theories in the world that talk about how our universe started and is a theory that the majority of scientists believe in.
Here is a brief video on the Big Bang Theory.
The Big Bang Theory states that after the singularity’s initial appearance it inflated (the Big Bang), expanded and cooled. The singularity started extremely small and hot to the current size and temperature of our universe today and continues to expand. Physicists also think that time began with the Big Bang Theory.
In the early 1900’s the majority of people thought the universe was fixed in size. It was until Einstein, in 1915, came up with a theory that described the nature of space, time and gravity. This famous theory was called the general relativity theory. In 1917, Willem de Sitter showed that the universe could be expanding by applying the theory to the whole universe.
The proposer of the big Bang theory was Georges Lemaitre and first suggested it in the 1920s. He believed the Universe began from a single primordial atom.
The Big Bang theory does have the most evidence supporting it. The main points of evidence for this theory are:
1. Expansion of Universe
Astronomer Vesto Slipher found out that there were more galaxies moving away from our galaxy rather than moving towards it. This was found out around the same time period as others discovered our universe was expanding. By looking at the spectrum of its light, Astronomers can tell whether a galaxy is moving closer or further away from us. If the galaxy is approaching the spectrum is shifted toward shorter wavelength, this is called blueshift. If the galaxy is moving further away, the spectrum is shifted toward longer wavelength, this is known as redshift. Astronomer Vesto Slipher discovered more galaxies with a redshift spectrum compared to those with a blueshift spectrum. This means Slipher found more galaxies moving away from our galaxy rather than towards it. This evidence does prove that the universe is expanding.
2. The Hubble Constant
Edwin Hubble, a famous scientist discovered in 1929 that farther galaxies are travelling away from us at higher speeds compared to their distance, which means more distant galaxies had spectra with higher redshifts. Hubble discovered that the expansion of the galaxies was proportional to the distance light travelled. Therefore the universe started smaller and has been expanding, and will continue to.
Edwin Hubble was able to measure the velocity in which a universe travelled including the distance a galaxy is from our galaxy.
3. The Doppler Effect
The Doppler Effect, also known as shift was discovered in 1842 by Christian Doppler. It is the change in wavelength of radiation, light or sound from an object. The Doppler Effect for a moving sound source states that small wavelength is when sound is closer to a source; it takes a short travel time to reach it. Long wavelength is when the sound is farther away and it has a longer travelling distance to reach the source.
There are many problems and arguments with the Big Bang Theory, such as:
· Where did all the matter in the universe come from?
· This theory ignores the first rule of Thermodynamics that says, “matter cannot be created or destroyed”
· The Big Bang Theory ignores the second rule of Thermodynamics that states, “everything tends towards disorder”
The Big Bang Theory is one of the most popular theories in the world that talk about how our universe started and is a theory that the majority of scientists believe in.
Here is a brief video on the Big Bang Theory.