Is the universe coming to an end? No way! The mere thought of galaxies, stars, planets and everything you’ve ever known ceasing to exist- mind-boggling, isn’t it? Well, all good things come to an end and so will the universe, maybe in a billion or trillion years. Maybe the end would have already surpassed and we are just in a time-lapse.
There are mainly two factors on which the fate of the cosmos depends- gravity and dark energy. First the basics, gravity is the force of attraction between all matter, and dark energy (it isn’t literally dark, but scientists named it so to make it seem fascinating) making up about 68% of the universe, is a mysterious anti-gravity force accelerating the rate of expansion of the universe. Cosmologists have encompassed three major theories with three different end outcomes (all of them seem similar to science fiction books).
1) THE BIG FREEZE:
In this scenario, the acceleration of the expansion of the universe would eventually come to halt. However, over time the galaxies, solar systems, suns, planets will expand and move away from each other. The light emitted by lonely galaxies will have long wavelengths which have very little energy; eventually the clouds would be too thin to form new stars; slowly the universe would begin to freeze to death. Cold!!
2) THE BIG RIP:
(MISCONCEPTION: NO! THE UNIVERSE WILL NOT BREAK INTO HALF!)
In this scenario, dark energy increases the rate of expansion of the universe overcoming the gravitational force and the nuclear forces of subatomic particles. Matter itself will break into pieces and single particles will drift aimlessly in a timeless void.
3) THE BIG CRUNCH:
Now for the most hopeful and uplifting theory. In this scenario, gravity will dominate dark energy (finally gravity coming through) with time the expansion of the universe would come to a halt and get reversed. Galaxies would rush towards each other on account of strong gravitational forces, a time would come where even subatomic particles would have to crunch together and eventually all that would remain will be a mega black hole containing the whole universe, kind of like the state pre-BIG BANG. This singularity could give rise to another universe and the cycle could go on.
The fiction does not stop here, everyday scientists keep floating new theories about how the universe will end. MAY THE RESEARCH CONTINUE! Let us know in the comments down below if you come across any other interesting outcomes:)
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