Throughout history, the idea of a “center” in the universe has intrigued humanity. In the first civilizationsit was believed that there was a special point from which everything revolved around the Earth, an idea known as geocentric model. This concept placed our planet in a privileged position, giving human beings the feeling of a central role in the cosmos. However, this notion changed with astronomers like Copernicus and Galileowhich revealed that the planets, including Earth, orbit the Sun, thus establishing the heliocentric model. Later, advances in astronomy demonstrated that even the Sun is just one star among millions in the universe. Milky Waywhich also does not occupy any particular position in the vast universe.
Today, cosmology suggests that the universe has no defined “center.” Since the Big Bang, the universe has expanded in all directions, similar to the surface of an inflated balloon; Each point on this surface moves away from the others without any being central. This model shows us a cosmic network where all points are of equal importance, eliminating the idea of a single central position. In this sense, any point in the universe could be considered “central,” providing a more inclusive view of the cosmos and reminding us that our location is neither special nor privileged.
Where is the center of the Universe really located?
The notion of “center of the universe” It is much more complex than it seems and raises deep doubts about our capacities for perception and understanding. In Antiquity, observations and beliefs, influenced by anthropocentrism, led to the assumption that the Earth was the center of everything, the only known place where life existed and, therefore, the central reference of the cosmos. However, in searching for the true “center of everything”, modern science, notably through the postulates of Einstein’s general relativity and the mathematical developments of Alexandr Fridman, has reached conclusions that go further.
The Big Bang theory, supported by studies such as those carried out by Dr. Vladimir Avila-Reese of the UNAM Institute of Astronomy, explains that the universe is not stationary, but dynamic: system developing from an initial event called the “singularity”. Since then, the universe has been in constant motion and its behavior (expansion or possible contraction) depends on its energetic and material content. From this theory, it is established that the universe does not have a “center” as we intuitively understand it.
One way to understand this idea is to imagine an inflated balloon. In this analogy, if we visualize the universe as the surface of the balloon, any point moves away from the others as the balloon expands. If we were two-dimensional creatures living on this surface, it would be impossible to locate a “center” in our two-dimensional environmentsince the true center would be in a third dimension to which we would not have access. Likewise, as three-dimensional beings, we are limited in our ability to conceive of a “center” in the context of a universe that spans at least four dimensions.
According to Astronomythis concept leads us to conclude that the idea of center is not relevant in the space we inhabit. In fact, in a expanding universeeach point can be considered as the center of its own reference space without there being an absolute center. In other words, to any observer, at any point in the universe, it will appear that the universe extends in all directions around it.
The great mysteries of the cosmos
The universe, by its immensity and complexity, remains an enigma for humanity. One of the greatest mysteries is the origin of the cosmos, which the Big Bang theory suggests began around 13.8 billion years ago. However, what happened before this event remains unknown. Furthermore, although the theory of relativity and other research has made it possible to understand that the universe is expanding, we do not know if there was a “before” or if the Big Bang marked an absolute beginning.
Another great mystery is that dark matterwhich constitutes 27% of the universe and whose existence is deduced thanks to its gravitational effects, but whose nature has not yet been discovered. Likewise, dark energy, which makes up 68% of the cosmos and is responsible for its accelerated expansion, is even more puzzling.
Although astronomers have identified galaxies and black holes, the latter’s singularities continue to defy the laws of physics, opening the possibility that black holes could be gateways to other universes. Finally, the fate of the universe, whether it expands eternally or collapses into a state “Great crisis”continues to be debated.
