We can only see light that has made it to our advantage compass point , imply that there is a point of accumulation to how much of the universe we can see – known as the evident world – as the brightness level has not yet made it to us .

In a static universe , the only affair kibosh us from seeing those removed object ( as well as the Doppler effect ) is the time it takes to get to us . In a stable cosmos , as time start on , we would observe more and more light from upstage objective and our Hubble horizon – the amount of universe of discourse we can respect – would raise .

At some point in the far - off future , the rest period of the world would become observable to us . Unfortunately , we do not live in a static universe , but one that is expanding at anestimated 73 kilometers(45.3 miles ) per second per megaparsec .

As the universe expands , that changes . The space between us and all other stars increase , and our observable universe will shrink , giving us less to observe and play with as meter drag on . In the universe we believe we are in , more distant objects will go away from our opinion faster and quicker .

For now , our observable population will continue to produce with the light from distant stars that can reach us , but has not had the time to reach us ; one appraisal say that we have only observed around43 percentof the galaxies that we will finally be able to find as their sparkle reaches us .

So , what is beyond the observable universe ? The obvious result to this is a big " we do n’t know " . In fact , we will never rightfully be intimate as it is , by definition , unobservable . However , that does n’t think of we ca n’t know anything about it , nor make reasonable guesses about what it control .

For a commencement , we can ( fairly confidently ) take that there is more universe beyond what we can observe .

In all directions in outer space , we can discover thecosmic microwave background(CMB ) . This is the remnant radiation from around 400,000 age after the creation set out , that is faintly perceptible and permeate all of the known universe . This radiation – from the first light of the universe – has been traveling to us for13.7 billion yearswhichever direction we look . This tell us we are either in one distinctive part of a larger universe , or that we are smack bang in the heart of a universe the sizing of our observable universe .

As well as being able to dismiss this as unlikely based on thecosmological principle – the principle that we should not assume that we occupy a inner region within the macrocosm – we can test this , to an extent . There is an idea ( to be filed under " in all probability wrong , but fun to recall about " ) that the observable universe of discourse could bebiggerthan the existence itself . If it were small enough , and sufficient clock time had passed , light from object would achieve us from several dissimilar directions . This would intend that in aflat universe , we could reckon we are seeing objects far in the distant reaches of the population when really we are seeing the visible radiation of a good ( or nearer ) object that has accomplish us from the other counseling .

look for grounds would be difficult . Say light from a galaxy acquire 9 billion years to get to you from one direction , and 4 billion year from another . You would see the same galaxy at two different stages of its lifespan , making it a gigantic task to deduce that they are they are in fact the same galaxy . However , team have looked for evidence of this in the form of duplicated circles in the CMB , thoughno evidencehas been found to support the musical theme , suggest the universe is indeed bigger than the observable cosmos .

take up the universe is large than the discernible existence , we could also be able to detect the influence of object outside our discernible universe on object towards our evident creation ’s edge . To some controversy , one team has claimed to have found just this while honour distant galaxy clusters using NASA ’s Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe . The squad claim to have observed movement of these clustering suggesting that they are make by the gravitational influence of objects beyond our evident universe .

“ The clusters show a belittled but mensurable speed that is independent of the universe ’s expansion and does not alter as distances increment , ” lede researcher Alexander Kashlinsky at NASA ’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt said in a2013 press button , adding “ the dispersion of matter in the observed universe can not account for this motion . "

An target large enough to create this " dreary flow " , as the squad termed it , would imply that the universe is not uniform ( on larger scale leaf ) in all direction , leading some to suggest that it is in fact grounds of another universe rubbing up against our own , and others proposing a ( more probable ) idea that there are errors within the observation . Dark flow rest controversial , with later studies findingevidence against the idea .

Nevertheless , it could be possible in the future to detect the gravitational influence of objective beyond our observable macrocosm . But due to the expansion of the universe of discourse and the f number limit of the universe , we will never be able-bodied to see nor determine it .

All “ explainer ” articles are confirmed byfact checkersto be correct at clock time of publishing . Text , images , and connection may be edited , removed , or added to at a later date to keep information current .