WHAT SIZE AND SHAPE IS THE UNIVERSE?

SIZE OF THE UNIVERSE

No one knows about the limits of the universe. But all the scientists agree on the point that the universe has been expanding ever since its origin. Also, it still does continue to do so. The galaxy - clusters are flying further apart. As a result, the universe is getting larger and larger day after day.

The fact that the universe is constantly expanding was established by an American astronomer named Edwin Hubble (1889-1953) A.D. In 1920's he studied hundreds of distant galaxies and classified them into various types. Also, he measured the shift in their brightness and proved that they are moving away from one another very rapidly.

Apart from the galaxies, a new type of objects has come to be discovered in the universe. These objects look like stars which they are actually not. So, these objects have been named quasars. The first quasar was discovered in the year 1960 A.D. Hundreds of them have been located through optical and radio telescopes by now. These quasars are believed to be the most distant objects in the universe. So, the universe is limitless and endless. Its size cannot be described in any measurements length, width or area etc.

SHAPE OF THE UNIVERSE

To say that the universe is getting larger and larger does not mean that it has an edge. The universe has no edge at all. Trying to find the edge of the universe is just like trying to find the end of a circle. Evidently, the universe is spherical in shape.

The word---spherical-does not mean an exact circle here. It simply points to the fact that the universe has no end or edge just as a circle doesn't have.  We often say that the earth is round in shape. But actually it is bulged out at the equator and a bit flattened at either pole. So, it is more like a pear or an orange. Somewhat similar seems to be the case with the universe