How was the universe created?

The most widely accepted explanation for the origin of the universe is the big-bang theory, which proposes that the universe began approximately 13.8 billion years ago in an extremely hot, dense state. This initial state was not confined to a single point in space but was the state of space itself at the moment the universe began.

As the universe rapidly expanded, it also cooled, allowing subatomic particles to form. Within minutes, nuclear reactions produced the first light elements, primarily hydrogen and helium, which remain the most abundant elements in the universe today.

As expansion and cooling continued, conditions became suitable for the formation of atoms. These atoms gradually clumped together under the influence of gravity, eventually giving rise to the first stars and galaxies a few hundred million years after the initial expansion. The emergence of these structures marked the beginning of what we recognize as the universe today—filled with stars, planets, galaxies, and other celestial bodies. The expansion of the universe is still ongoing, shaping the cosmos and deepening our understanding of its origins.