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Learning objectives

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

  • Discuss the expansion of the universe.
  • Explain how the Big Bang gave rise to the universe we see today.

Look at the sky on some clear night when you are away from city lights. There you will see thousands of individual stars and a faint glowing background of millions more. The Milky Way, as it has been called since ancient times, is an arm of our galaxy of stars—the word galaxy coming from the Greek word galaxias , meaning milky. We know a great deal about our Milky Way galaxy and of the billions of other galaxies beyond its fringes. But they still provoke wonder and awe (see [link] ). And there are still many questions to be answered. Most remarkable when we view the universe on the large scale is that once again explanations of its character and evolution are tied to the very small scale. Particle physics and the questions being asked about the very small scales may also have their answers in the very large scales.

The photo shows a lot of small bright spots of different shapes and sizes on a black background. Some spots show evidence of an interior spiral structure whereas others are more uniform.
Take a moment to contemplate these clusters of galaxies, photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope. Trillions of stars linked by gravity in fantastic forms, glowing with light and showing evidence of undiscovered matter. What are they like, these myriad stars? How did they evolve? What can they tell us of matter, energy, space, and time? (credit: NASA, ESA, K. Sharon (Tel Aviv University) and E. Ofek (Caltech))

As has been noted in numerous Things Great and Small vignettes, this is not the first time the large has been explained by the small and vice versa. Newton realized that the nature of gravity on Earth that pulls an apple to the ground could explain the motion of the moon and planets so much farther away. Minute atoms and molecules explain the chemistry of substances on a much larger scale. Decays of tiny nuclei explain the hot interior of the Earth. Fusion of nuclei likewise explains the energy of stars. Today, the patterns in particle physics seem to be explaining the evolution and character of the universe. And the nature of the universe has implications for unexplored regions of particle physics.

Cosmology is the study of the character and evolution of the universe. What are the major characteristics of the universe as we know them today? First, there are approximately 10 11 size 12{"10" rSup { size 8{"11"} } } {} galaxies in the observable part of the universe. An average galaxy contains more than 10 11 size 12{"10" rSup { size 8{"11"} } } {} stars, with our Milky Way galaxy being larger than average, both in its number of stars and its dimensions. Ours is a spiral-shaped galaxy with a diameter of about 100,000 light years and a thickness of about 2000 light years in the arms with a central bulge about 10,000 light years across. The Sun lies about 30,000 light years from the center near the galactic plane. There are significant clouds of gas, and there is a halo of less-dense regions of stars surrounding the main body. (See [link] .) Evidence strongly suggests the existence of a large amount of additional matter in galaxies that does not produce light—the mysterious dark matter we shall later discuss.

Questions & Answers

Discuss the differences between taste and flavor, including how other sensory inputs contribute to our  perception of flavor.
John Reply
taste refers to your understanding of the flavor . while flavor one The other hand is refers to sort of just a blend things.
Faith
While taste primarily relies on our taste buds, flavor involves a complex interplay between taste and aroma
Kamara
which drugs can we use for ulcers
Ummi Reply
omeprazole
Kamara
what
Renee
what is this
Renee
is a drug
Kamara
of anti-ulcer
Kamara
Omeprazole Cimetidine / Tagament For the complicated once ulcer - kit
Patrick
what is the function of lymphatic system
Nency Reply
Not really sure
Eli
to drain extracellular fluid all over the body.
asegid
The lymphatic system plays several crucial roles in the human body, functioning as a key component of the immune system and contributing to the maintenance of fluid balance. Its main functions include: 1. Immune Response: The lymphatic system produces and transports lymphocytes, which are a type of
asegid
to transport fluids fats proteins and lymphocytes to the blood stream as lymph
Adama
what is anatomy
Oyindarmola Reply
Anatomy is the identification and description of the structures of living things
Kamara
what's the difference between anatomy and physiology
Oyerinde Reply
Anatomy is the study of the structure of the body, while physiology is the study of the function of the body. Anatomy looks at the body's organs and systems, while physiology looks at how those organs and systems work together to keep the body functioning.
AI-Robot
what is enzymes all about?
Mohammed Reply
Enzymes are proteins that help speed up chemical reactions in our bodies. Enzymes are essential for digestion, liver function and much more. Too much or too little of a certain enzyme can cause health problems
Kamara
yes
Prince
how does the stomach protect itself from the damaging effects of HCl
Wulku Reply
little girl okay how does the stomach protect itself from the damaging effect of HCL
Wulku
it is because of the enzyme that the stomach produce that help the stomach from the damaging effect of HCL
Kamara
function of digestive system
Ali Reply
function of digestive
Ali
the diagram of the lungs
Adaeze Reply
what is the normal body temperature
Diya Reply
37 degrees selcius
Xolo
37°c
Stephanie
please why 37 degree selcius normal temperature
Mark
36.5
Simon
37°c
Iyogho
the normal temperature is 37°c or 98.6 °Fahrenheit is important for maintaining the homeostasis in the body the body regular this temperature through the process called thermoregulation which involves brain skin muscle and other organ working together to maintain stable internal temperature
Stephanie
37A c
Wulku
what is anaemia
Diya Reply
anaemia is the decrease in RBC count hemoglobin count and PVC count
Eniola
what is the pH of the vagina
Diya Reply
how does Lysin attack pathogens
Diya
acid
Mary
I information on anatomy position and digestive system and there enzyme
Elisha Reply
anatomy of the female external genitalia
Muhammad Reply
Organ Systems Of The Human Body (Continued) Organ Systems Of The Human Body (Continued)
Theophilus Reply
what's lochia albra
Kizito
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Source:  OpenStax, College physics for ap® courses. OpenStax CNX. Nov 04, 2016 Download for free at https://legacy.cnx.org/content/col11844/1.14
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