We know where our galaxy is located – but just locally speaking.
The Milky Way galaxy is one of a few dozen galaxies known as the Local Group. Astronomers have discovered that our Local Group is on the outskirts of a giant cluster of several thousand galaxies – which astronomers call the Virgo Cluster.
But it’s only on this relatively small scale – the scale of tens of millions of light-years – that the universe appears clumpy. On a very large scale – a scale of billions of light-years – galaxies appear to be smoothly distributed across space. You could travel anywhere in the universe and, on a grand scale, space would look the same – a sea of galaxies.
What’s more, to our knowledge, there’s no center of the universe – and no edge. As far as we know, the universe looks the same in all directions. So – beyond our Local Group and the Virgo Cluster – it’s tough to describe our galaxy’s location relative to any special or fixed reference point in the universe.
it has always been wonderful to know about the universe to me….
thanks for such a great deal of information!!
i have to find this type of information for a class project, this really helped me and i thought i would show my apprecation, so thank you very much
Thanks for leaving a comment, A.G.! You’re always welcome here.
Very clear answer ! Thank You.
But I cant forget the scientists that tells us that the Univers is expanding (the distances between “stars” getting bigger, like inflating a balloon, and newest, some even argue that the expasion is accellerating !)
If they can calculate these changes, it must be “simple” to track (backwards calculation) where everything started from….. the center of the Universe…- And our (earth) position, would be a part of this equation..
I know, that if it was so simple as I want it to be, it would have been done..! What is wrong with my statement(theory) ?
Is the Earths position in the Universe a question that the top-scientists give a high priority, or is it not important, in their opinion ?
I hope somebody (really)-clever, can answer these questions.
Yours curiously, Soren (Denmark)
Soren, let me try a response.
First of all, yes, scientists say the universe is expanding. But, no, the distance between stars is not getting bigger. It’s the distances between GALAXIES that’s getting bigger. The distances between stars within galaxies is remaining constant.
Galaxies, like our Milky Way galaxy, are like islands of stars in the universe – or like “star cities.”
So … yes, scientists can and do try to use the changes in galaxy distances (redshifts) to track back to the beginning of the universe, which they call the Big Bang.
But our Earth – a tiny speck inside our Milky Way galaxy is not part of this equation.
Thanks for visiting!
ES
Thank You for fast response.
I gave the stars some ” “… – yes galaxies ! :)
If there was a Big Bang, 14 billion years ago (some say), one could imagine an empty field, like after an explosion, and this empty field would also expand in time.
After 14 Bn. years it should have a considerable size..any search for this hollow center ?
Soren,
I don’t think anyone images a hollow center to the universe.
Tell me if I’m wrong here … you’re thinking that the Big Hang happened in a field of space, yes? And that, as time began, the matter began expanding outward into space? Is that how you’re picturing it?
But that’s not how astronomers think of it. They think of it as time beginning – with matter AND space also being created – all expanding outward together.
Of course as Sam (comment below) points out, no one really knows …
- ES
Sureley if the universe is expanding now in all directions, then there must be somewhere that is empty, unless galaxies are being formed all the time?
Only a person who has seen and visited the entire universe can make a comment that it has no centre or edge. It is amusing to see the arrogance of modern astronomers – they have hardly a century of telescopic observations behind them and yet they talk about events that supposedly occured 14 billion years ago as if they were present and they have seen in all. No hint of humility – no wording that this could have or may have happened; their language is as if what they are writing is the proven truth. Actually it is only intelligent speculation and nothing more than that. Rather like an ant writing about a man made satellite.
Sam, astronomers ideas about a universe with no center and no edge cannot possibly be based on observations. You’re right about that. The universe is just too big for that.
There are two kinds of astronomers: first, those who observe the universe via equipment such as telescopes and second, those who contemplate the universe using the tools of mathematics, physics and large computers.
The second sort of astronomer is a theoretical astronomer. It’s the theoretical astronomers – not the observers – who have used those tools to imagine a universe with no center and no edge.
But of course you’re right. No one really knows.
- ES
Surely looking out far enough we can see into the beginning of the universe (photon decoupling, etc). The distance to these “age wrinkles” of the universe surely cannot be equidistant in all directions? That would put Earth in the centre. That can’t be.
the only comment that we can make, is we are an eon in the universe. so…………………
Could it be that there was no big bang and that the universe existed for EVER and ever….
I believe in parallel universe as well as we are living in many universes at the same time and as the universe in its current form was always there and will be there ,we human will change from one universe to another when we die but we never die really.