Looking far out into the universe and seeing light emitted from distant
galaxies confuses me when it's said that we are seeing 15 billion years into
the past. If those distant galaxies are indeed 15 billion light years away
and the light took 15 billion years to get to earth, then what's happened to
those objects since that light left them 15 billion years ago? And... if
that light left those objects 15 billion years ago and it took 15 billion
years for the light to get to earth... what about the time it took for those
objects to get 15 billion light years away from earth?

"Jededia Jones" wrote in message
...
Let's assume you go back in time, say, 15 billion years and you watch the
Big Bang. Next to the Big Bang, still the size of a pinhead, you've got this
nifty stopwatch saying "ZERO". Meaning of course, that the TIME as we know
it has just started.

Now, as the big bang expands, as the worlds form themselves, as your stomach
turns, as the suns light up, explode, etc. you look at your watch one day
and it says "15 billion years".

The world is now a lot bigger amd all that's left of the big bang is the
background radiation. A scientist will now tell you, that if you went 15
billion light years to the borders of the universe you would go back in time
15 billion years. This, she tells you, is supported by the fact that the
further you go in the universe the older the objects are (red shift, bla
bla, etc.)

Now, from a logical point of view this can't be true because the more you go
back in time the SMALLER the universe was. Remember, at T=ZERO it was the
size of a pin. Are you following me? Let's say you and your buddy both
wanted to look a the big bang, and he went 15 billion light years in one
direction and you 15 billion light years in the opposite direction. When you
got there, you would have to meet, because both of you are in the small (15
billion year old) universe. But it is impossible to meet because you are in
fact 30 billion light years apart. So, I, personally, myself, think that the
shape of the universe can't be spherical.

I think what we need is another Einstein or Feynman to figure this out.


Robert
"Roger" wrote in message
. nl...
I was hoping someone could help me with the following question. I am
trying
to understand something of the size of the universe, and I came accross a
quote that said "the universe is expanding in all directions, and that the
'Cosmic Microwave Background' (the remaining heat from the Big Bang, is
found at a distance of 15 billion light years from us in all directions."

Tow questions result from this:
- does this not suggest the universe is ball-shaped, and
- that the earth is pretty much at the centre of the universe, near where
the Big Bang occurred?

Any input you can give me (in laymen's terms, please) would be welcome!

Rogier