(https://www.nasa.gov)(https://science.nasa.

gov)(/)(/)

What is the Big Bang? More

(#right
tray)

What's This Big Bang All About?

In1927,anastronomernamedGeorgesLematrehadabigidea.Hesaidthataverylongtime
ago,theuniversestartedasjustasinglepoint.Hesaidtheuniversestretchedandexpandedto
getasbigasitisnow,andthatitcouldkeeponstretching.

What an Idea!
Theuniverseisaverybigplace,anditsbeenaroundforaverylongtime.Thinkingabouthowit
allstartedishardtoimagine.

Some More Information

Justtwoyearslater,anastronomernamedEdwinHubblenoticedthatothergalaxieswere
movingawayfromus.Andthatsnotall.Thefarthestgalaxiesweremovingfasterthantheones
closetous.
 (/review/bigbang/galaxies.en.png)
Thismeantthattheuniversewasstillexpanding,justlikeLematrethought.Ifthingswere
movingapart,itmeantthatlongago,everythinghadbeenclosetogether.
 (/review/bigbang/hubblewowza.en.png)

Everythingwecanseeinouruniversetodaystars,planets,comets,asteroidstheyweren't
thereatthebeginning.Wheredidtheycomefrom?

A Tiny, Hot Beginning

Whentheuniversebegan,itwasjusthot,tinyparticlesmixedwithlightandenergy.Itwas
nothinglikewhatweseenow.Aseverythingexpandedandtookupmorespace,itcooleddown.
Thetinyparticlesgroupedtogether.Theyformedatoms.Thenthoseatomsgroupedtogether.
Overlotsoftime,atomscametogethertoformstarsandgalaxies.
Thefirststarscreatedbiggeratomsandgroupsofatomscalledmolecules.Thatledtomorestars
beingborn.Atthesametime,galaxieswerecrashingandgroupingtogether.Asnewstarswere
beingbornanddying,thenthingslikeasteroids,comets,planets,andblackholesformed!
 (/review/bigbang/blackholecartoon.en.png)

A Super Long Time

Howlongdidallofthistake?Well,wenowknowthattheuniverseis13,800,000,000yearsold
thats13.8billion.Thatisaverylongtime.

What's in a Name?
Thatsprettymuchhowtheuniversebegan.Becauseitgotsobigandledtosuchgreatthings,
somepeoplecallitthe"BigBang."Butmaybeabetternamewouldbethe"Everywhere
Stretch."Whatdoyouthink?

articlelastupdatedOctober12,2016

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