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If we could be at the edge of expanding universe in a fast space ship such that we could go beyond the edge, what does the science think we might experience?

Would we still be floating in space?

Would we be pushed or pulled?

Would the observable universe go out of view until it caught up?

Would there be light, dark, or a clear and shining void?

Would we cease to exist until existence caught back up?

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    $\begingroup$ "You can't get there from here." In other words, it's like "Somewhere, over the rainbow." in that the edge moves in the same direction you do. $\endgroup$
    – uhoh
    Commented Nov 10, 2021 at 21:18
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    $\begingroup$ @uhoh And even if we could get there from here, we could only speculate about what we might experience, since we have no evidence from outside the observable universe! $\endgroup$
    – Connor Garcia ♦
    Commented Nov 10, 2021 at 21:35
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    $\begingroup$ @ConnorGarcia memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/… $\endgroup$
    – uhoh
    Commented Nov 10, 2021 at 21:36
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    $\begingroup$ This is a site about science. Don't expect questions about God or "our true nature" to get answers here. $\endgroup$
    – StephenG - Help Ukraine
    Commented Nov 11, 2021 at 0:22
  • $\begingroup$ All the places you can go are part of the observable universe. $\endgroup$
    – Stack Exchange Supports Israel
    Commented Nov 11, 2021 at 10:11

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The 'edge' of the observable universe is as much a edge as is the 'edge' of how far you can look from the roof of your house: none at all, it's just a limit to our vision. We can never reach this edge though for the observable universe, as the limit to our movement is the speed of light - and the edge recedes faster than the speed of light.

There is no reason to assume that anything will be different at the edge of the observable universe or beyond: it will just be as different as - keeping the picture - is the view from your roof top compared to mine. Assuming anything different will need extrodinary proof as to why it would be reasonable that it would be different.

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  • $\begingroup$ The edge recedes faster than the speed of light? This I've never heard before. How do we know that? $\endgroup$
    – clearlight
    Commented Nov 11, 2021 at 21:53
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    $\begingroup$ We know by knowledge of the Hubble constant. Distant galaxies we still see now will become more and more red-shifted, thus we see less and less. $\endgroup$
    – planetmaker
    Commented Nov 11, 2021 at 22:01
  • $\begingroup$ Thanks @planetmaker, I looked up the Hubble Constant, and also found this. Wow! News to me. So I guess I'll not be flying off the edge of universe anytime soon! bigthink.com/surprising-science/… $\endgroup$
    – clearlight
    Commented Nov 11, 2021 at 22:58
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    $\begingroup$ @clearlight in cosmology, there are actually many types of horizons, and the phrase "observable universe" requires some technical care. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmological_horizon $\endgroup$
    – Daddy Kropotkin
    Commented Nov 12, 2021 at 18:55
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'Science' is based on taking experimental observations, developing potential hypothesis or theories to match those observations, and then thinking of further experiments that could be conducted to prove or dis-prove your hypothesis. If enough experimental evidence backs up a hypothesis, you could then consider asking it 'what-if' questions to make predictions.

So, science has nothing at all to say about any of your questions, as we have no experimental evidence about any of the situations your questions ask.

Perhaps more specifically, from the equivalence principle we assume the universe has no edge, and so all your questions don't fit current scientific observations.

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    $\begingroup$ I think you mean the cosmological principle not the equivalence one. And that brings us to the answer given by @planetmaker. Than of course science is ready to correct itself. $\endgroup$
    – Alchimista
    Commented Nov 11, 2021 at 13:40
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In 1995 the Hubble telescope revealed what lies beyond the edge of the observable universe. In a small pitch-black area of the then known universe it found 3000 distant galaxies. This discovery was called: "Hubble Deep Field".

The more powerful our space telescopes get the more is being revealed. There is no end. The only edge there is to speak about is the last frontier.

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  • $\begingroup$ I'm not sure this answers the question - by definition the Hubble cannot reveal what is beyond the observable universe because it is causally disconected from us. So your statement, 'there is no end' is incorrect. There is an 'end' to what we can observe and that's the observable universe. $\endgroup$
    – user438383
    Commented Nov 12, 2021 at 10:28

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