Is the Universe Really Flat and What Lies Above or Below the Earth?

[Erik B]

Is the universe "flat" ?

I am only casually interested in astronomy so its rather difficult for me to articulate my thoughts, but I will try my best. Consider me a layman and please accordingly use layman's terms if possible when you write your answer. When I see planetary systems, galaxies etc. depicted all objects in the systems appear to be at the same... um.. altitude (I know that that is a terrible word to describe it but as I said its difficult for me to articulate this) and everything is on the same "level". That is what i mean by the question Is the universe "flat". If so, why is this ? Is there anything above or below the Earth? for instance if i was to take a spacecraft and fly directly upwards from the north pole or directly downwards from the south pole?

 

[Drakkith]

The universe is far from flat in this sense. Planets and other major bodies typically orbit stars in approximately the same "plane" (the word you were looking for) because it is a result of the way the gas and dust clouds collapse during the formation of stellar systems. If we look far out into space we see many many different galaxies spread out in every direction, up and down, from one side to the other approximately equally. We refer to this as the universe being "homogenous" at the largest scale.

See this thread for more information: https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=417310

 

[urmother]

planets align in a plane around sun so does stars around settled galaxies ,considering that sequence, galaxies might be in an alignment around something that lies far beyond the horizon of our comprehension of cosmic neighborhood .and it is logical to extend our thoughts in this manner.local movements of galaxies may not be in direct correlation to that central mass considering the mere distance


→if universe is infinite it would be flat
→if universe is finite , flatness have 1/3 chance

i'd say universe is infinite and flat

 

[phinds]

... galaxies might be in an alignment around something that lies far beyond the horizon of our comprehension of cosmic neighborhood

It is possible, but unlikely, for something like this to happen with galactic clusters, but for it to happen

beyond the horizon of our comprehension

is just nonsense

 

[pmacias]

I can tell you that the concept of the universe being "flat" refers to its overall geometry. In this context, "flat" means that the universe is not curved in any direction, but rather exists in a flat, two-dimensional plane. This is a difficult concept to visualize, as our brains are used to thinking in three dimensions.

To answer your question, the current scientific consensus is that the universe is indeed flat. This is based on observations of the cosmic microwave background radiation, which is the leftover radiation from the Big Bang. This radiation is incredibly uniform in all directions, which suggests that the universe is flat.

To address your observation about objects in the universe appearing to be on the same "level," this is due to the immense distances between objects in space. The universe is incredibly vast, and objects are spread out over billions of light years. From our perspective, everything may appear to be on the same "level," but in reality, they are just incredibly far apart.

As for your question about what lies above or below the Earth, it is important to remember that the Earth is just one small part of the universe. There is no "up" or "down" in space, as it is a three-dimensional expanse. If you were to travel directly upwards or downwards from the North or South Pole, you would eventually reach the same spot, as the universe is not oriented in any specific direction.

I hope this helps to answer your questions and provides some clarity on the concept of the universe being "flat." It is a complex and abstract concept, but one that scientists continue to study and explore in order to better understand our vast and mysterious universe.