Tuesday August 30, 2011 (Supporting the Big Band Theory)

The Launch Pad Tuesday, 8/30/11 Which of the following provides compelling evidence for the Big Bang Theory? A. the universe is expanding B. we can detect cosmic background radiation noise in all parts of space C. most galaxies are moving away from each other D. all of the above are evidence

Assignment Currently OpenPage Date of Notes on Website Date IssuedDate Due ESS Class Information Sheet N/A 8/248/25 Class Procedures and Expectations TBD8/24 8/26 Lab - Stretching the Fabric of Space TBD8/29 8/30

Latest News In the wake of a Russian rocket failure, NASA is considering evacuating the crew of the International Space Station later this year. The unprecedented move would mark the first time in more than 10 years that the orbiting outpost has gone unmanned. The space station evacuation is one possibility following the failure of the unmanned Russian supply spacecraft just after its Aug. 24 launch — a surprise given the reliable track record of its workhorse Soyuz rocket. The vehicle’s Progress 44 cargo craft, and its 2.9 tons of supplies bound for the International Space Station, crashed in Siberia. An investigation into the cause of the failure is under way, but until the issue is resolved NASA and its Russian partners are delaying upcoming launches to crews and cargo to the space station. The Soyuz rockets used to launch Progress vehicles are similar to ones used to launch crews into orbit, station managers said.

How the Universe Works: The Big Bang Part 3 Gravity Video

The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang model, or theory, is the prevailing cosmological theory of the early development of the universe, and attempts to explain some of the earliest events in the universe. According to the theory, the universe was once in an extremely hot and dense state that expanded rapidly (a "Big Bang"). As there is little consensus among physicists about the origins of the universe, the Big Bang theory explains only that such a rapid expansion caused the young universe to cool and resulted in its present continuously expanding state. According to recent measurements, the original state of the universe existed around 13.7 billion years ago, to which some physicists refer as the time that the Big Bang occurred. Physicists have attempted to establish the theory's validity through scientific evidence and observations.

The Big Bang Theory The framework for the model relies on Albert Einstein's Theory of General Relativity. sAY General relativity is a geometrical theory of gravity developed by Einstein in which gravity's effects are a consequence of the curvature of four-dimensional “space-time.” According to this theory, the energy and momentum of all matter and radiation cause curvature in space-time.