Why is it NOT possible to look all the way back to the Big Bang itself?
A) Photons are not produced until the stars form.
B) At such high redshifts, photons are gravitationally lensed by the dark matter in the universe.
C) At such high redshifts, most of the photons are blocked by large amounts of cold gas and dust.
D) At such high redshifts, photons are heavily altered because they easily react with individual protons and electrons in the universe.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The reason we cannot see back to the Big Bang itself is due to the universe being opaque to photons until the recombination era, about 380,000 years after the Big Bang, when electrons and protons combined to form neutral hydrogen, allowing photons to travel freely. Before this time, the universe was filled with a hot, dense plasma of electrons and protons that scattered photons, making it opaque.

Why Is It NOT Possible to Look All the Way