If the expansion of the universe was reversed it would shrink to a point in about?

What evidence is there that a big bang took place?

Both the background level of microwaves and the continuing outwards expansion of the universe can be theoretically reversed to indicate a starting point in time and space from which all the universe began.

The mysterious force that may be causing the expansion of the universe to accelerate is called?

The current state of affairs with regard to the expansion of the universe point to dark energy as the cause of the expansion of the universe. It is not a force though.

Is the universe all expanding outward from one central location?

Wherever you are located, it seems as if you are at the center of the expansion.

What name do you give to the theory for the origin of the Universe?

The Big Bang Theory is the name given to the theory of cosmic expansion. The idea is of an ever expanding universe. It posits that at some point all matter in the universe was contained within one point.

How do you work out the age of the universe?

The age of the Universe is calculated based on several methods; one that is fairly easy to understand is the expansion of the Universe. If you extrapolate the expansive movement of the galaxies into the past, you get to a point where they were very close together. The time when this should have happened gives you a general idea of the age of the Universe - assuming that the speed of expansion didn't change. (This assumption isn't entirely accurate, though.)The age of the Universe is calculated based on several methods; one that is fairly easy to understand is the expansion of the Universe. If you extrapolate the expansive movement of the galaxies into the past, you get to a point where they were very close together. The time when this should have happened gives you a general idea of the age of the Universe - assuming that the speed of expansion didn't change. (This assumption isn't entirely accurate, though.)The age of the Universe is calculated based on several methods; one that is fairly easy to understand is the expansion of the Universe. If you extrapolate the expansive movement of the galaxies into the past, you get to a point where they were very close together. The time when this should have happened gives you a general idea of the age of the Universe - assuming that the speed of expansion didn't change. (This assumption isn't entirely accurate, though.)The age of the Universe is calculated based on several methods; one that is fairly easy to understand is the expansion of the Universe. If you extrapolate the expansive movement of the galaxies into the past, you get to a point where they were very close together. The time when this should have happened gives you a general idea of the age of the Universe - assuming that the speed of expansion didn't change. (This assumption isn't entirely accurate, though.)

When will the sun stop glowing?

In 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 Ad _____________________________ That's a matter of some debate. Sun-sized stars never completely die; they shrink into white dwarf stars, and continue to shine. Depending on the ultimate fate of the universe, they may shine, more and more dimly, essentially forever. Some theories of the universe, however, speculate that at some point universal gravitational attraction will slow down the expansion of the universe and cause it to collapse back down to a point.

How do cycloids relate to the Big Bang Theory?

In both matter dominated and radiation dominated closed Universes, the evolution is cycloidal; i.e. the scale factor grows at an ever-decreasing rate until it reaches a point at which the expansion is halted and reversed. The Universe then starts to compress and it finally collapses in the Big Crunch.

Is The perfect cosmological principle the basis for the oscillating universe theory?

Yes, the perfect cosmological principle is a key aspect of the oscillating universe theory. This principle suggests that the universe looks the same from any vantage point at any given point in time, which is a fundamental assumption for the oscillating universe model where the universe undergoes cycles of expansion and contraction.

Why do people believe the big bang theory?

Because that is what our standard model of the universe tells us. It is due to the red shift of light showing that our universe is expanding away from a point. Now since we know time moves in a linear fashion, it is not hard to imagine that if we reverse this expansion, the whole universe is brought back to a tiny point commonly known as the "singularity". The real question is "how?" or "why?" this expansion happened.

What is oscilating universe theory?

This refers to the idea that after a period of expansion, the Universe will eventually contract again (due to attractive gravitational forces), return to a tiny point, and explode again in another Big Bang. This no longer seems likely to happen, since it has been found that the expansion of the Universe is actuall accelerating, not slowing down.

Why can't we point to an area in space and say That is where the big bang occurred if it indeed occurred in one fixed point in space?

The reason is simple: the Big Bang did NOT occur in one fixed point in space. Contrary to popular presentations, the initial expansion (NOT an explosion) of our Universe was not matter filling empty space, going from an area of high density outside to an area of low density. It was an expansion of space itself, not going "into" anything. Matter was simply taken along for the ride. Every point in our Universe has had the same level of expansion as every other point.

Is an instant rapid and hot expansion of the universe the same thing as an explosion?

No. An explosion is an expansion of matter from a central point of high density to outer points of lower density. This is NOT what happened during the Big Bang, despite numerous popular presentations to that effect. The Big Bang was NOT an expansion of dense matter from a central point into empty space. It was an expansion of space itself.