The Big Bang
The Big Bang Theory is an explanation for one of the most fundamental questions of all time, how was the universe created? It is theorised that the universe began as a small, dense singularity and has been expanding since. Phenomena such as cosmic microwave background radiation, Hubble’s law and red shift can all be explained by this theory. Expansion rate of the universe suggests that the Big Bang happened 13.8 billion years ago.
Why the Big Bang might not have been the beginning of our Universe
The Big Bang marks the birth of the Universe, right? The physicists brave enough to look beyond it aren’t so sure.
The Universe is a hologram: Stephen Hawking's final theory, explained by his closest collaborator
On the sixth anniversary of Stephen Hawking's death, close friend and colleague Thomas Hertog unpacks the trailblazing physicist's thoughts on the Big Bang's origins.
If the universe is expanding, how are the Milky Way and Andromeda getting closer together?
Recent data from Hubble suggests that the Universe is expanding at a rate of around 73km per megaparsec (3.26 million light-years).
Instant Genius Podcast | The first stars in the Universe, with Dr Emma Chapman
Physicist Dr Emma Chapman joins us on our podcasts, Instant Genius and Instant Genius Extra.
What shape is the Universe?
According to Einstein's theory of General Relativity, the Universe could take one of three forms: flat like a piece of paper, closed like a sphere, or open like a saddle.
What is Hawking radiation?
It should, in theory, be emitted by the boundary surrounding a black hole, and it's one of Stephen Hawking's most famous ideas.
What day of the week did the Big Bang happen?
We’ll give you a clue: it probably wasn’t Monday.
Instant Genius Podcast | The Big Bang, with Prof Jim Al-Khalili
Theoretical physicist Prof Jim Al-Khalili joins us on our brand new podcasts Instant Genius and Instant Genius Extra.
What was before the Big Bang? Everything you need to know
What was before the Big Bang? And how do we know it happened? Let BBC Science Focus give you the low down on the birth of The Universe.
Marcus Chown | Does the Big Bang really explain our Universe?
Science writer Marcus Chown tells us about the Big Bang, dark matter, inflation, and what we still don't know about the formation of our Universe.
Black holes and the multiverse could account for all dark matter, astronomers claim
A study suggests that tiny black holes from the early Universe could contain ‘baby universes’, and could explain dark matter.
New technique could uncover gravitational echoes of the Big Bang
Researchers can now sift through the astrophysical noise to see the conditions of the early Universe.
Universe’s biggest explosion since the Big Bang detected
The blast came from a supermassive black hole at the centre of a galaxy over 240 million years ago.
To understand our Universe, look to its first moments
All of the biggest mysteries in physics, including dark matter, antimatter and inflation, have their roots in the first few seconds of the Universe.
If we made a powerful enough telescope, would we theoretically be able to see the light from the Big Bang?
Light particles after the Big Bang eventually formed the ‘cosmic microwave background’ which astronomers can see all aglow.
What if the Big Bang was not the beginning?
Our best description of how it all began doesn’t add up. But now a team of theoretical physicists think they’ve found a way to test a controversial new theory that the Universe came to life with a bounce and not a bang.
Cosmology | The hunt for the oldest galaxies in the Universe
The deeper we look into the vastness of space, the further back in time we are able to see. Now, NASA’s RELICS project is pushing this phenomenon as far as it can in an attempt to observe galaxies that formed at the very beginning of the Universe.
Scientists create strange matter that once filled Universe
Odd geometric shapes can be produced with the quark-gluon plasma created in the PHENIX Detector particle collider.
If energy can't be created, where did it come from in the first place?
The energy needed for the Big Bang had to come from somewhere.
Who really discovered the heat from the Big Bang?
The heat left over from the Big Bang is known as the cosmic microwave background.
Who really discovered Hubble’s Law?
Edwin Hubble demonstrated that our Universe is expanding, and getting faster too. But he wasn't the first person to find this out…
What would faster-than-light (hyperspace) travel look like?
Piece of junk or not, the Millennium Falcon looks a lot different when you engage the warp drive.
Where is the centre of the Universe?
Solving this cosmological conundrum requires a shift in perspective.
Is everything in the Universe expanding at the same rate?
The Universe is continually stretching out, otherwise known as cosmic expansion.