Explore the enigmatic origins of the cosmos with our in-depth coverage of the Early Universe. From the Big Bang's first moments to the formation of the earliest...
The Early Universe refers to the period immediately after the Big Bang, encompassing the first few hundred million years when fundamental forces separated, particles formed, and the first stars and galaxies began to emerge from the cosmic dark ages.
The Big Bang theory describes the universe's origin as an extremely hot, dense point that expanded rapidly, leading to the formation of all matter, energy, and the large-scale structures we observe today. It wasn't an explosion *in* space, but an expansion *of* space itself.
The first stars, known as Population III stars, are believed to have formed roughly 200-400 million years after the Big Bang. Galaxies began to assemble shortly thereafter, around 400-800 million years post-Big Bang, as gravity pulled matter together.
Scientists study the Early Universe by observing the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation, analyzing distant galaxies, using particle accelerators to recreate early universe conditions, and developing complex theoretical models and simulations.