Though human beings claim to know most of the things, the interstellar space is certainly not one among them. The shape of the universe is something where humans are least interested, as they have no idea about its ending. For many years, researchers assume a flat structured Universe. But, a recent study suggests that the world is round in shape.
When it comes to the earth, the shape of the planet is not flat. As a result, parallel lines are not exactly parallel in nature. For example, the longitude meets each other at the northern and southern poles. If you want to draw a triangle on the surface of the earth connecting three different cities, the addition of three angles will exceed 180 degrees easily, which is not the case in a flat plane. According to Einstein’s theory of relativity, the contents of the space-time generally change its shape. The shape of the universe decides the contents’ moving direction.
Scientists revealed that light is the only way to measure the shape of the universe. As light travels in a straight line, except minute deviation due to the presence of other objects on its path, the CMB is the perfect way to conclude. CMB- Cosmic Microwave Background is one of the primary sources of light, which created at the beginning of the universe. These lights travelled for around 13.8 billion years to reach the earth.
Information from the Planck Satellite
The collaboration of ESA and NASA recently launched Planck Satellite for mapping CMB in the sky. Planck Satellite released its latest report in 2008. According to the Planck data, the universe might have a closed shape. Though the information is not conclusive, it suggests that the universe is not flat, at least.
The development is significant, as Big Bang suggests that the shape of the universe is flat. In the future, more details on the matter are likely to come.
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