if space is expanding and the known universe is wider in light years than years old it is, aren’t opposite ends of the universe traveling faster than light in relation to each other?

Question

if space is expanding and the known universe is wider in light years than years old it is, aren’t opposite ends of the universe traveling faster than light in relation to each other?

In: Planetary Science

Answer 1

Yup! And not just the opposite ends. Most of the universe is moving away from us at greater than the speed of light. Only 6% is currently close enough that you could send a message to it at the speed if light. The other 94% is already going to fast and its getting faster every day, this is called the cosmic event horizon. 

This is allowed because the things aren’t really accelerating… more like extra space is just appearing between two places.