The Big Bang
⭐ MasteredScientists think the universe began about 13.8 billion years ago in a huge expansion called the Big Bang. The universe has been expanding ever since.
Galaxies are still moving away from each other.
All about The Big Bang
The Big Bang is the scientific model that describes how the universe began about 13.8 billion years ago. It started as an extremely hot, dense state that expanded rapidly. As it cooled, particles formed, then atoms, stars and galaxies.
Evidence for the Big Bang includes the redshift of distant galaxies, which shows that the universe is expanding, and the faint afterglow of the early universe, called cosmic microwave background radiation.
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Real-life uses of The Big Bang
- Explaining the age and history of the universe
- Helping scientists understand how elements formed
- Inspiring questions about the origin of everything
Frequently asked questions about The Big Bang
Did the Big Bang happen in one place?
It did not happen at a single point in a space that already existed. Space itself expanded everywhere.
What happened before the Big Bang?
Scientists do not know. Our current models cannot describe what, if anything, came before.
Who first proposed the Big Bang theory?
Georges Lemaître, a Belgian priest and astronomer, proposed the idea in the 1920s and 1930s.