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From: wilde@apollo.uucp (Scott Wilde)
Newsgroups: net.astro.expert
Subject: Re: Where's the center of the universe?
Message-ID: <26b6fb13.3b@apollo.uucp>
Date: Fri, 24-May-85 13:03:52 EDT
Article-I.D.: apollo.26b6fb13.3b
Posted: Fri May 24 13:03:52 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 31-May-85 03:26:26 EDT
References: <1544@amdahl.UUCP>
Organization: Apollo Computer, Chelmsford, Mass.
Lines: 15

>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 point is not one in three dimensional space.  The best explanation I have heard
uses an 2D analogy with a ballon. Pick any set of points you want on an uninflated
ballon. As the ballon is blown up, all points will simultaneously move away from all
the others.  But the center of expansion is the center of the ballon , which is not 
a point in the 2d "universe" of the balloon surface.  This sounds a little childish,
but is probably more understandable that some mathematical explanation ( it was
for me.).

                                                 Scott Wilde
                                                 Apollo Computer, Chelmsford, MA
                                                 ...!decvax!wanginst!apollo!wilde