(June 17, 2017 at 8:37 pm)vorlon13 Wrote:(June 17, 2017 at 8:10 pm)bennyboy Wrote: . . . errmmm. . . is that a thing? It sounds to me like something that isn't.
Alex, if space is expanding, wouldn't the rate of separation of objects be a function of their original distance from each other? I mean, if I put two dots 1cm apart on a rubber sheet and stretch it to 2x its original size, I'd expect them to be now 2cm apart. But if I put them on opposite edges of a 1m sheet, I'd expect them now to be 2m apart-- a 100x difference in the apparent rate of separation even thought the original rubber "Universe" is expanding in exactly the same way both times. But in the 1cm apart dots, it seems it wouldn't matter WHERE on the sheet they were-- near the middle or right up near the edge-- the apparent change in position relative to each other would be identical, no?
In other words, from one of those dots, I don't think I could necessarily figure out where the center of the rubber sheet was based on the changing relative position of any of the other dots. So. . . how do they arrive at the Big Bang singulariy, rather than on a position that the Universe just expands forever and ever?
Once the gravitational wave detectors detected gravitational waves, the whole gravitational wave thing took on quite a bit of credence.
As for how long it will take the sun to spiral down into the core of the galaxy? Be thinking a very long time. I suspect your growing finger nails would get there first. (sorry, I'm not going to do the math)
Come on, third derivative of the quadrupole moment, don't be a wuss and grab your pencil
The fool hath said in his heart, There is a God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
Psalm 14, KJV revised edition
