Expanding universe: Quick Facts

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Britannica editor Erik Gregersen, a white man wearing glasses, holds a microphone in front of a galaxy background. Displayed above him are the phrases: Ask an Editor, and How old is the universe?

Physicist Brian Greene speaks in front of a window, with an illustration of expanding balloons representing the universe on the screen beside him.

Understand the theoretical model of dark energy and the acceleration of the universe

Learn about space expansion and why gravity and electromagnetism are not affected when space expands

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Topics

Redshift Hubble’s law closed universe open universe How Fast Is the Universe Expanding?Mössbauer effect thermal red-shift closure density Hubble time gravitational red shift Hubble constant Eclipse gravity space-time Olbers’ paradox Cosmological constant Star Sun Galaxy Cosmology Solar system

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Astronomy: Galaxies and the expanding universe

Key People

Edwin Hubble

Edwin Hubble

American astronomer

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Willem de Sitter

Dutch mathematician and astronomer

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Vesto Slipher

American astronomer

Nicolaus Copernicus. Nicolas Copernicus (1473-1543) Polish astronomer. In 1543 he published, forward proof of a Heliocentric (sun centered) universe. Coloured stipple engraving published London 1802. De revolutionibus orbium coelestium libri vi.

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