Big Bang

How is the Universe Expanding?

Illustration representing the mesh used to describe gravity.

Create An Expanding Universe

You have likely heard about the Universe expanding. Or that redshift can tell us about the movements of galaxies. Both are difficult ideas to imagine and understand.

Cartoon of a person blowing up a balloon. The balloon is covered with galaxies.

Carlos Frenk

Carlos Frenk
Credit: The Peter and Patricia Gruber Foundation

Occupation: Computational Cosmologist

Year born: 1951

Research Areas: Supercomputer Simulations, Galaxy Formation

Where was the Big Bang?

Where did the Big Bang take place? If the Universe is expanding, where is it expanding from? These are very good questions, but the answer might seem confusing. The answer is...everywhere!

It is all in the dimensions!

The Universe began with the Big Bang about 14,000 million years ago (14,000,000,000 years). When it was young, the Universe was very, very hot and dense. Since then, it has been cooling down and getting bigger.

Evidence for the Big Bang

Astronomers think the Big Bang is the best way to explain how the Universe started and how it changed over time. All science is based on evidence. So what is the evidence for the Big Bang?

Big Bang

The evolution of the Universe.
Credit: NASA

The Big Bang is the explanation for how the Universe started. Astronomers think that everything started in a single point. Then everything expanded and stretched to grow into the huge Universe we see today.

The Schools' Observatory

Big Bang

How is the Universe Expanding?

Create An Expanding Universe

Carlos Frenk

Planck

Where was the Big Bang?

History of the Universe

Evidence for the Big Bang

Big Bang

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Big Bang

How is the Universe Expanding?

Create An Expanding Universe

Important Information