Beyond the horizon: Decoding the mystery of the unobservable universe
When astronomers say, ‘We’ve discovered something on the edge of the universe’, they refer to the observable universe. This is because there is a part of the universe that we still can’t see! Consider standing on the shores of an ocean, where you can only see the horizon. That doesn’t mean there’s nothing beyond the horizon, right? Similarly, the universe we see is the observable universe, and beyond it exist things that researchers are yet to discover. Isn’t that fascinating? So, why can’t we see the universe beyond a certain point, and what do you believe lies beyond it? Keep reading for your answers.
Why can’t we see past the observable universe?
You may be aware that we can only see stars and planets when the light they emit reaches our eyes. There is one factor that blinds us to the realm beyond the observable patch of our very own universe: Lack of light. Beyond the lit area, there seem to be a lot of stars and galaxies.
What might lie beyond the universe we see?
There are three theories about what might exist further than our visible universe. Some astronomers it is simply a continuation of what we can see in the visible universe. To put it simply, an infinite universe. There is a second theory that deals with the concept of ‘dark flow.’ In 2008, astronomers discovered galactic clusters that streamed at over 2 million miles per hour! This light flow is known as dark flow (ironic much?). However, astronomers are still unsure of the cluster’s structure. It could be anything from space–time warps to massive accumulations of matter and energy!
There’s another theory floating around the observable universe. You may have heard of this one for sure: The multiverse theory. According to the multiverse theory, our universe exists in a bubble, and similar bubbles may exist beyond it. A bubble can make contact with another, resulting in a Big Bang collision!
How far can we see from the observable universe?
As time passes, the universe expands. However, there is a limit to how much of it we will see. Our universe is currently 13.8 billion years old, with a visibility limit of 46 billion light years. This means that the light we see today has travelled 46 billion light years to reach us! But what is a light year? A light year is a unit used to describe the distance between two bodies. It is the distance travelled by light in a year. Do you know how much is one light year? It is 9.46 trillion kilometres. According to cosmological parameters, our visibility limit will be 33% higher in the future, or 61 billion light years! If you do not wish to wait and see the galaxies that are currently hiding in the dark, there is only one solution: Time travel.
Some of the galaxies out there may never be found, and some will be discovered in the future. What do you think might exist outside the realm of our observable universe? Maybe alien life, or perhaps a black hole that connects our universe to another, who knows! The speculation is on!