Why is the universe expanding? What do scientists say?

Do you know why the universe is expanding? Can you imagine the reason for this phenomenon?

Everyone knows that the size of the universe we live in is practically immeasurable, right? 

And although our solar system is home to all the planets, natural satellites and the Sun, its central star, today it is possible to say that this entire system is like a grain of sand and the universe itself would be an ocean.

In other words: our presence in the universe is practically microscopic compared to the whole.

But what if we told you that, in addition to all the magnitude that the universe already has, it is still expanding? 

Yes, this is happening right now!

But after all, why is the universe expanding? That's what we're going to discover together here in this content. 

Throughout the text, you will learn about this expansion movement and also understand what it means for us.

The importance of carrying out studies on the behavior of the universe 

It is not new that Trechos da vida likes to highlight the importance of carrying out studies on our universe.

Even though many people cannot see or understand the true importance of this research.

After all, even though these topics may seem very distant and do not affect our routine, studying these areas better is an excellent step forward for humanity.

In addition to helping us better understand how the universe works, these studies and research allow us to better understand where we came from and even where we are going in relation to the cosmos.

Several discoveries regarding other planets – such as our neighbors Mars and Venus – the functioning of the stars and galaxies that surround us – including the Sun, the largest star in our solar system – and even the discovery of so-called exoplanets.

All these discoveries were made thanks to a lot of research and commitment from those involved.

It is for these and other reasons that, whenever a major event occurs in relation to our universe and space, we at Trechos da Vida like to bring this information to you! 

What is the expanding universe? 

After talking a little about the importance of studying the cosmos, it's time to talk about today's main topic.

You've probably heard that humans know more about the universe than about the bottom of the sea, right? 

And in a way that is true.

Since new tools and technologies were developed to carry out these types of research, humans have been studying space and everything related to the universe around us.

And based on different types of observations over the years – both of the planets that make up our solar system and of the stars and galaxies that live here and around us – scientists were able to notice a very curious movement.

According to these researches and observations, the universe is expanding.

And the questions that remain are: what does this movement mean and why is the universe expanding? 

Understanding a little more about the expansion of the universe

Understanding a little more about the expansion of the universe

Astronomers who study this movement believe that our universe is indeed expanding.

According to them, this movement means that all points in the universe are, even if little by little, moving away from each other.

Until recently, there was a theory that believed that what was growing were the stars and galaxies present in the cosmos.

To understand a little more about this, there is a very simple experiment that can be done at home by any of us.

To do this, you will only need a balloon and a pen. Then, you will draw some dots on the still-empty balloon. 

Then, just fill the balloon little by little.

Did you notice what happens as you blow on it and it increases in size?

The points you drew at the beginning of the experiment will move away from each other.

In general – and quite figuratively – this is more or less what is happening in our universe according to astronomers.

Why is the universe expanding?

Now that we have illustrated a little for you what the expansion of the universe is, it is time to understand a little more about why the universe is expanding.

First of all, it is important to emphasize that the universe has been expanding continuously since the Big Bang, the event that gave rise to the entire universe approximately 14 billion years ago.

What has changed in recent times is that this rhythm has become increasingly faster.

And, according to the astronomers responsible for studying this topic, the main person responsible for this is a force known as dark energy.

With strong negative pressure, this energy is a mysterious force that appears to be causing the universe to expand faster and faster.

Despite causing this effect in our universe, little is known about the nature of this dark energy and how far it will make the universe expand.

In contrast to this theory, there is also one that is defended by some astronomers.

In it, instead of continuing to expand, the universe will stagnate and then begin to retract, decreasing in size.

However, it is not known for sure whether this second theory is actually true or whether it is just a guess.

Conclusion 

So, did you already know about this phenomenon and why the universe is expanding?

It is still too early to define the limit, to when and how far our universe will expand and what effects this event will have on our life here on Earth.

But after confirming this fact, we are sure that scientists and researchers will be keeping an eye on this expansion and, through new studies, will most likely be able to better understand this phenomenon.

Did you like this content? Then why not take the opportunity to read it too What has NASA discovered recently? See what's new in space!