Common Cosmological Questions
What came before the Big Bang.
Because of the enclosed and finite nature of the universe, we cannot see "outside" of our own universe.
Space and time began with the Big Bang.
While there are a number of speculations about the existence of other universes, there is no practical way to observe them, and as such there will never be any evidence for (o.
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Cosmological Missions & Instruments
Launched in November 1989, NASA's Cosmic Background Explorer(COBE) took precise measurements of radiation across the sky.
The mission operated until 1993.
Although NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is probably best known for its astounding images, a primary missionwas cosmological.
By more accurately measuring the distances to Cepheid variables, stars .
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History of Cosmology & Astronomy
Humanity's understanding of the universe has evolved significantly over time.
In the early history of astronomy, Earth was regarded as the center of all things, with planets and stars orbiting it.
In the 16th century, Polish scientist Nicolaus Copernicus suggested that Earth and the other planets in the solar system in fact orbited the sun, creatin.
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What is physical cosmology?
Physical cosmology is the branch of physics and astrophysics that deals with the study of the physical origins and evolution of the universe.
It also includes ,the study of the nature of the universe on a large scale.
In its earliest form, it was what is now known as "celestial mechanics", the study of the heavens.
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Why is cosmology so difficult?
Cosmology can be a difficult discipline to get a handle on, as it is a field of study within physics that touches on many other areas. (Although, in truth, these days pretty much all fields of study within physics touch on many other areas.) What is cosmology.
What do the people studying it (called cosmologists) actually do? .
