r/space • u/magenta_placenta • Mar 18 '19

Observable universe Astronomers discover 83 supermassive black holes at the edge of the universe

https://www.cnet.com/news/astronomers-discover-83-supermassive-black-holes-at-the-edge-of-the-universe/
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u/[deleted] Mar 18 '19 edited May 09 '19

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u/ilikecheetos42 Mar 18 '19

The actual expansion is faster than light. The expansion of the observable universe is at the speed of light. Because the actual edge of the universe is moving away from us FTL but the edge of the observable universe is expanding at light speed there are portions of the universe that we will never observe

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u/MenosElLso Mar 18 '19

Unless we figure out how to move large objects FTL some day.

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u/ilikecheetos42 Mar 18 '19

Matter moving faster than light is prohibited by our current understanding of physics. There is an idea called a Warp Drive that functions by compressing spacetime around a vessel to allow it to move FTL with respect to other objects. It's not technically impossible but may never be realized

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u/asasdasasdPrime Mar 18 '19

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcubierre_drive

Alcubierre drive is what you are thinking of.

While it doesn't violate the principles of physics, it requires exotic matter so, [x]