1. The Formation of the

2. The study of the origin and changes of universe is called cosmology.

3. The most supported theory of the formation of the universe is the Big Bang Theory, which occurred some 13.8 billion years ago.

4. The Big Bang Theory states that the universe began to expand with the explosion of concentrated matter and energy and has been expanding ever since.

5. Hubble Deep Field Evidence of the Big Bang….
These images were obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope over a period of 100 hours.
The farthest objects in the picture, which are galaxies, are up to 8 billion light years away. Galaxies 8 billion years ago had less structured shapes than galaxies now appear to have.
Edwin Hubble was an American astronomer who was one of the first scientists to study galaxies. Between 1918 and 1929, two of his major findings changed astronomy. First, he confirmed that many other galaxies existed beyond the Milky Way. Second, he found that almost all galaxies are moving away from each other. In his research, he would study each galaxy’s light spectrum.

6. Hubble closely examined each galaxy’s light spectrum.
When white light passes through a prism, it is separated into a continuous rainbow known as the visible light spectrum.

7. The Red Shift Evidence of the Big Bang….
Astronomers have concluded that the light has a longer wavelength than normal because the galaxy is moving away from us. This movement, or shift, into the red end of the spectrum is called red shift.
From the light spectrum of each galaxy he studied, Hubble was able to determine the speed at which each galaxy was moving away from our own.

9. Background Radiation! Evidence of the Big Bang….
This Big Bang shot the concentrated matter and energy in all directions.
If the Big Bang theory is correct, the energy left from the Big Bang will be evenly spread out throughout the universe. This energy is known as background radiation, which scientists have discovered throughout the entire universe.
A big question was not answered, Where was the energy that should have been left over form the very early moments of the formation of the universe? Their prediction was that space should contain evidence of radiation. In 1965 Penzias and Wilson made a big discovery! Their new microwave antenna, intended for use in telecommunications, detected that the entire sky was bathed with microwave energy!

10. In 1992, the Cosmic Background Explorer satellite made detailed maps of the background radiation collected from the most distant parts of the visible universe. Then in 2006 when Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (above) took even more precise measurements.

11. An Ever Expanding Universe
As early as 1912 astronomers observed evidence that the galaxies are moving away from Earth and from one another.
This evidence came from looking at the light spectra (patterns of colours) given off by nearby galaxies. The spectrum of a moving object in space is different from the spectrum of an object that is not moving.

12. The “supercollider” at CERN in Switzerland
Today, at several research facilities around the world, scientists are trying to recreate various aspects of the conditions that might have existed in the early moments of the universe.
The “supercollider” at CERN in Switzerland

13. The future of the Expanding Universe…
One result of the Big Bang Theory is that the universe may grow cold and dark. This will happen if the universe expands forever, such a universe is called an open one.
In an open universe, the stars will eventually die off as the last of their energy is released.
So the future of an open universe is one in which there will be nothing left.

14. In a closed universe the expansion will eventually stop.
The future of the Closed
Universe…
In a closed universe the expansion will eventually stop.
In this scenario the universe will begin to contract once expansion ends.
Scientists believe that perhaps another Big Bang would follow the Big Crunch, giving raise to a new universe of possibilities.
This idea that Big Bang’s follow Big Crunch’s in a never-ending cycle is known as an oscillating universe.