From the fact that virtually every galaxy is moving away from us and more distant galaxies are moving away from us at a faster rate than closer ones, we conclude that
A)the farthest galaxies will eventually be moving faster than the speed of light.
B)the universe is shrinking.
C)the universe is expanding.
D)the Milky Way Galaxy is expanding.
E)we are located at the center of the universe.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The observation that galaxies are moving away from us at increasing rates with increasing distance is consistent with the idea that the universe is expanding. This was first observed by Edwin Hubble in the 1920s and is now one of the pillars of modern cosmology. The idea that the farthest galaxies will eventually exceed the speed of light (choice A) is not correct, as the speed of light is the maximum speed in the universe and cannot be exceeded. Similarly, choice B (the universe is shrinking) is also incorrect, as the observed redshift of distant galaxies indicates that the universe has been expanding for billions of years. Choices D and E are also not correct, as the expansion of the universe does not necessarily imply that individual galaxies (such as the Milky Way) are getting larger, nor does it imply that we are at the center of the universe.

From the Fact That Virtually Every Galaxy Is Moving Away