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From: cpf@lasspvax.UUCP (Courtenay Footman)
Newsgroups: net.astro.expert
Subject: Re: Where's the center of the universe?
Message-ID: <363@lasspvax.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 23-May-85 15:57:39 EDT
Article-I.D.: lasspvax.363
Posted: Thu May 23 15:57:39 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 25-May-85 07:13:30 EDT
References: <1544@amdahl.UUCP>
Reply-To: cpf@lasspvax.UUCP (Courtenay Footman)
Distribution: net
Organization: LASSP, Cornell University
Lines: 22
Summary: 

In article <1544@amdahl.UUCP> gam@amdahl.UUCP (G A Moffett) writes:
>If the Universe is expanding from a common point, where is that
>point?  In particular, in what area of our sky is the direction
>of this point?

The universe is not expanding from a common point.  It is undergoing
an isotropic, homogeneous expansion, with no "fixed point".

The usual example is this:  consider a 2-dimensional creature that lives
on the surface of an inflated balloon.  Now inflate the balloon some more.
All points on the balloon move away from each other, and the creature
says that he is living in an expanding universe; however, no point is
privileged over any other point.  A person at any point says that the
This example descibes a closed universe, but the example does not depend
whole universe is expanding away from him.

This example describes a closed universe, but the example does not depend
on that - an open universe works the same way.
-- 
Courtenay Footman			arpa:	cpf@lnsvax
Newman Lab. of Nuclear Studies		usenet:	cornell!lnsvax!cpf
Cornell University