The end of our universe

Scientists announced they have detected a black hole nearly thirteen billion light-years from Earth.


In point of fact astronomers use AU (Astronomical Unit, the distance from the Earth to the Sun) and parsec, the distance of one arc of parallax, to measure distance in space. I grew up with light-years and is the distance I use.

Since the discovery of the telescope in the early seventeenth century man has been able to look ever further (and earlier) away. Before the telescope there was no proof even that the Earth was not the center of the universe. When Galileo pointed his telescope at Jupiter and saw the four moons orbiting it, this became affirmation that we are not the center of the universe.

As scientists look ever further and earlier, it begs the quesion; what lies beyond our universe? Is our Universe the only universe in space? As for earlier in time, physicists believe the universe was a single piece of matter that exploded, the Big Bang billions of years ago creating everything. What existed before that piece of matter? Where did it come from?