If the Universe is about 13.7 billion years old, and the diameter of the observable universe is 93 billion light years, how can it be that wide if the universe isn’t even old enough to let light travel that far that quickly?

Question

If the Universe is about 13.7 billion years old, and the diameter of the observable universe is 93 billion light years, how can it be that wide if the universe isn’t even old enough to let light travel that far that quickly?

In: 5624

Answer 1

Think of the universe like a blanket, and people are pulling on the edges of the blanket from all sides. It’s a stretchy blanket. The blanket isn’t getting bigger when people stretch it, but all of the threads are farther apart.

Scientists are mostly sure that the blanket won’t rip some day.