Quote:
Originally Posted by Robh
Hi Alex.
What a conundrum! Is the Universe infinite in size? Who knows.
The age of the Universe is supposedly around 13.73 billion years.
I'm guessing we are talking about the observable Universe. How do they come up with the figure of 93 billion light years diameter (or a distance of 46.5 billion light years)? Pure guesstimation.
We don't know how expansion has varied over time and therefore cannot possibly calculate an exact size for the observable horizon.
Then there is the cosmic event horizon at 16 billion light years. Supposedly, light being emitted now from galaxies this far out will never reach us due to their speed of recession.
Regards, Rob
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I dont know but it can not be infinite under the Big Bang Theory that is for sure (I think) as you can not double a finite (as the original seed was finite)up and up so that it reaches infinite.. a trillion to the power of twenty seven trillion is still finite big but finite and you could take the result of that sum away from infinite and still be left with infinite.. infinite is neat and the prospect of an infinite Universe impossible to imagine...but if it is infinite possibilities are also infinite.. that would translate into a real possibility that everything is possible maybe...it is a wise man who can imagine a stick without ends and a circle does not cut it by the way.
I used to have great difficulty in accepting the size to age thing until I understood the concept of space expanding.. how can it be 160 billion light years if matter is limited to C and the age is 13 billion..one will come up with a Universe with a radius of 13 billion light years..but add space expansion and I can see the opportunity for those bigger than expected estimations.
I have been looking around the net and have not found two estimates the same so far.
alex
alex