Introduction

When you look out into the night sky, have you ever wondered about where the universe came from? Has it always been since the dawn of time, or can we measure its age? Is it expanding like scientists today seem to think? Is it infinite, or does our own universe seem to have a limit? That brings us to perhaps the most puzzling question: what is the ultimate fate of the universe? We may never know the answer, but that is the puzzle that modern cosmologists are trying to solve.

Cosmology is the study of the evolution of the universe—how the stars and galaxies formed, and how the universe came to be like it is today. Unfortunately, we can't turn back time, but we can study the leftover remnants of 15 billion years of cosmic evolution, hoping one day to put together the pieces of a very intricate puzzle…

(Do you know how the universe began? These kids had some great ideas. Click here to find out!)

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