The End of The Universe - Part 1

#astrophysics #universe #space

Credit : Grand Strategy Annex

From the outset of the series we have gone through the timeline of the Universe from a fraction of a second after The Big Bang to the present day. 

This mini series is based on the work of Fred Adams and Gregory Laughlin in their book The Five Ages of The Universe : Inside The Physics of Eternity. An amazing read might I add.

The Primordial Era of the Universe is from the instant of the Big Bang, the exponential expansion, the cooling of the Universe and the formation of the galaxies and celestial bodies we know today. 

Right now we are in the Stelliferous Era of the Universe. Stars rule the night sky and we are inside what astonomers call "The Golden Age of Astronomy". We have 93 Billion light years of Universe to observe and marvel at. Our Universe is abundant with nebulae, comets, asteroids, planets, their moons, Galaxies, plasma, subatomic particles, black holes and dust. One day....all of this will be gone!

In life all good things come to an end. This also includes our Universe. Dont worry, it wont meet the end today, tomorrow or even in a trillion years! Although one day it will. 

As it is so far into the future, in this series we are going to need some BIG numbers. For example 10 to the power of 2 (10x10) is 100. 10 to the power of 6 (10 x 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 x 10) is one million. 10 to the power of 12 isn't twice as big as 10 to the power of 6, it is one million times bigger!

The Universe has around 10 to the 100th power years to live. An outrageously large number, although time ticks on. That day will eventually come wether any of us like it or not.

One day, the insterstellar gas and dust which collapses to form planets, galaxies and stars will deplete in 10 to the power of 14 years time. Our Universe will become significantly darker. This will become The Degenerate Era.

Part 2 Next Week.

Credit: AMP The Standard.

Jude Morrow.