Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: Ricky Lawson on 17/06/2010 10:30:02

Title: Is there a limit to how far back in time we can see?
Post by: Ricky Lawson on 17/06/2010 10:30:02

Ricky Lawson  asked the Naked Scientists:
   
Hi Chris,
 
Just found the podcast (http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/) and love it. I have subscribed and also to the astronomy one (http://www.thenakedscientists.com/astronomy).

Listening to one of the shows about looking further away from us allows us to see back in time.

My question is is there a limit as to how far back we can see (not a limit based on the technology we have)?

If the universe is expanding and it all started in the same place then the light at the begining would have already reached us as we were at the same point. As the universe expanded we would have received a lot of the light from the begining, as the rate of expantion could not have exceeded the speed of light.
 
Also would it be possible to see further back due to light being bent, is it possible for light from the begining to be bent back towards us?
 
I know this might be written a bit badly and my understanding of physics may be bad, but I would love to hear an answer.
 
Thank you for the shows and hopefully some answers.
Ricky Lawson

What do you think?

Title: Is there a limit to how far back in time we can see?
Post by: RD on 17/06/2010 11:20:52

Quote from: Ricky Lawson  on 17/06/2010 10:30:02

My question is is there a limit as to how far back we can see (not a limit based on the technology we have)?

(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fen%2F2%2F29%2FReion_diagram.jpg&hash=6fed5ccbf461d159e815da7e5d5e5dbf)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reionization