Is there a center point of gravitational pull for the Universe?
609154
Your question has two parts. First, there isn't a "center" to the universe. I know that sounds strange, but it is true nonetheless.\n\nAs to what pulls, as you noted, everything pulls. However, some things are more massive and pull harder. There is a good book that shows the history of the discovery of what was called the "Great Attractor" IIRC, the book was Journey to the Great Attractor. \n\nThe Great Attractor is a supercluster of galaxies. Since then, we have discovered more about what is around us and exerting the stronger gravitional pull.\n\nA quick Internet search for galaxies + "great attractor" should give you plenty of reading material.\n\nIf you are interested in space, try\nhttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/lunar-observing/\n\nHope this helps\n\nChuck
890850
Yes, our galaxy (and the local group) is generally heading in the direction of the virgo cluster of galaxies. All together, we are moving in the direction of a much larger structure called the 'Great Attractor' that is in the direction of the constallation of Centaurus. I'm guessing that this is what you heard about.\n\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Attractor
358909
There is no "outskirt" to the universe-Each point is the center, just as every point on the surface of a sphere is a center.  One of the primary engines of motion is gravity, which is a warping of space/time.  There is a "thing" we call space/time, which has certain properties, but not necessarily substance (as mass, for example).  According to current theory, at the sub-quantum level, there is a bubbling of space/time in which energy is created and destroyed, but it exactly evens out-the "zero-point" energy.  So, yes, there is a thing called space-time which allows things to exist, but no, there is no outskirts of the universe.
24590
The universe may or may not have a large three or four demensional structure, but it more than likely has an overall natural curvature based on it's density.  If the density of the universe is enough to overcome the expansion of the big bang, than general relativity predicts that space will have a possitive curvature, like that of a sphere.  If it's density is less than the expansive force of the big bang it will have a negative curvature, which is impossible to model in three dimensional space, but is often described as saddle like.  If the density is exactly right that the universe will slow in its expansion forever and never re-collapse, then space is probably flat.  This site could help...\n\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shape_of_the_Universe
892719
It's radial motion away from us - orbital would be around some central point, which the universe doesn't have (a gravitational center, at least) - although galaxies usually have some particular velocity within their clusters.
1133232
No, because as the universe expands, the gravitational force on a single point by all parts of the universe gets weaker due to the increasing distance between bodies. So there is no ongoing force that would make a single body less dense. Of course it would be like entering a black hole if you went back to the first few moments of the universe.
1169257
Basically the distance a galaxy is away from the center of the universe and its mass help to determine its age. Not sure how acurate it is.\n I guess it depends on if you accept the Big Bang theory. Also, there is much work that is still left to be done on the Standard Model.\n One problem could be trying to take information gathered in a few hundred years and comparing it to something billions of years old.
1076161
An object orbiting another in space can be considered to be in freefall around the center object.  You have probably heard someone explaining circular motion like that of an astronaut or space station or the moon as being in freefall towards the earth.  It's a balancing act between the gravity between the two objects (causing the free fall) and the inertia of the planets, moons, satelites, etc that keep them moving in a direction perpinduclar to the inward falling direction.  \n\nEventualy the orbiting object will have to fall toward the center object or away from it, debending on whether the inertia or the gravity is stronger.  \n\nOur moon is moving away from us.\n\nAll the stars in the galaxy are moving around the center of the galaxy and all the galaxies are moving around the center of the universe but we will never fall in because not only is the universe still expanding, the rate at which all the galaxies are moving away from the center of the universe is getting faster.
811141
The Speed of Light is measured to any observer, preferably "at rest" or not moving on an intersteller ship.  As said above, there is no such thing as absolutely stationary anywhere.  Everything in this Universe moves relative to something else.  We move relative to the local star systems, they in turn move relative to the galactic center.  The galactic center moves realative to the nearby Galaxies, such as Andromeda Galaxy (which in less than 6 Billion years the Milky Way will collide with to form one larger Galaxy).  So, everything moves.  Even if it looks like it doesn't.
1075314
The current status of the universe actually does work like that.  Technically, with gravity the universe should collapse back upon itself and the big bang would occur all over again.  However, gravity is one of the weakest forces in the universe.  With that said, it has been measured that the universe is expanding and accelerating at a rate that exceeds the gravitational forces required to initiate the "big crunch."\n\n\nThere are two schools of thought right now.  One is that the universe will continue to decelerate but never completely stop or collapse upon itself.  More recent theories have stated that the universe appears to be accelerating.\n\nAs it stands now, I would say that it is safe to say that the odds are extremely low of the universe collapsing back to a singularity.\n\nSee the link below for some more information.
1030282
Where's the center of gravity, there's the end... :)\nActually, people invented term "infinity" to describe something incredibly large, incomprehensible... No one knows what "infinity" is except for that its really huge. \nSo try to see outer space like a HUGE jelly ball or jelly cub... HUGE enough not to go around it in 200 lives. But, theoretically, it is possible that even universe is round.
708914
Any cosmologist will tell you that there is NO center to our universe. Assuming that the Big Bang didn't happen inside some "thing" else--and there's not a shred of evidence that such was the case--then we're forced to say that the Big Bang happened everywhere at once; before it there was no 'where' or anything else.
855
If there is sufficient gravitational force then the universe will do one of three things:\nSmall gravitational force= universe that expands indefinately\nModerate gravitational force=universe that will expand indefinately but slows down extremely slowly.\nStrong gravitational force= Big crunch or universe that will collapse on itself.
608005
The universe does NOT have a center. The main reason lots of people think that it must have one is because they think of the Big Bang as an explosion. It wasn't! An explosion happens inside something else, and there's no evidence whatsoever that our universe is inside anything.\n\nStart with an infinite absolute void--no matter, no energy, no space, no time, absolutely nothing. Then, somehow, the Big Bang event occurs. Only then did space come into existence. We can then say that the Big Bang happened everywhere at once. To claim otherwise we'd have to assume that there was some other "where" before the Big Bang.\n\nA geometric form without a center isn't hard to imagine. Think of the SURFACE of a perfect sphere. Where's its center? Of course, there isn't any.\n\nThe fancy words for these things that are so hard to comprehend are 'homogeneous' and 'isotropic.' The first word describes something that is everywhere the same. The latter word means that no matter where you are within that something it looks the same in all directions.
988250
space is not infinite  although to us it is pretty much,  confused  great.  the universe is currently expanding, whether it will always continue to do so is due to critical density and mean density of the universe.     if critical density = (3i x hubbles constant^2)/ 8piG      if critical density is greater than average density then the universe will contineue to expand forever although it wont ever become infinite because the recession of the galaxies is limited by the maximum speed of light, and the fact that the universe had a begining therefore has a limmited size. \nalso  if average denisty is greater than critical density then the universe will be closed (hyperbolic) and the gravitational pull of the galxies will cause the universe expansion to slow and eventually contract. if critical density = average density then universe expansion will slow down universe would be flat, Most cosmologists believe that the universe is open and will continue to expand, which is nice, heres something nice to think about that if the universe is exapanding at the speed of light and the universe has been around for 1/Ho   1/hubblesconstant then the unverse is about 13 biliion years old this is 4.16x10^17 seconds  times the speed of light  3x10^8 ms-1 is  1.248x10^26m  in one direction   if the universe is spherical  which it isnt but lets pretent it is for an easier calculation then the Volume of the Universe is  4/3 pi r^3    is 8.142x10^78m^3   which is quite alot of space. As the amount of volume that real mass takes up is insignificant at these measurement  we can forget about it.   On the other hand light follows the shortest routes as mass distorts space it is likely that this answer is a bit smaller.  Oh and the universe isnt spherical its more like a ball thats been sat on,    So in summary the universe is not infinite but it is pretty much as it is likely to be expanding at the invariant maximum speed of light so your never going to hit the edge, infact there isnt an edge im not sure would happen if you got to the edge before the first radiation from the beggining of the big band reached the edge,   But i dont think youd get there,  well about your car  at the moment if your car takes up 6m^3  then theres enough space in the universe to hold 1.3x10^78  cars   but theres not enough matter in the universe to make that much cars  for that so dont worry too much about it, also in 1 second the universes volume increases by lots  uhhh     ok if the universe was 8.142x10^78m^3   rite this second  and the universe is exactly 13 billion years  old  (which its not) then in one second later the universe would be bigger yeas thats right  bigger by           ok one second is too small to make any effect on the calcullation,  but if it was a billion years older then it would be 1.016x10^79m^3  thats 2.02x10^78m^3 more than it was a billion years earlier which means it expansion is well logarithmic exponential whatever, the next billion year the universe would expand even more in the same time,   soo  thats even more parking spaces, if u look hardenough im sure you wiil find some.    No wonder i dont have a girlfreind.
667215
An interesting theory!  What do you think it will start coliding with?  Actually as space expands, the matter within it becomes farther and farther apart, so there is less and less chance of colisions.  \n\nThere are two aspects of the curvature of space.  Local curvature is caused by (or causes) gravity - masses curve the space around them.  But the entire universe may be curved on a great 4-D sphere.  \n\nThe third link below gives an excellent discussion on curvature and the expansion, including an explanation of the density parameter.  If the density parameter is less than 1, then the universe will expand forever.  \n\nAstrophysics and cosmology are pretty fascinating topics.  Keep asking questions and, when the time is right, take some classes in these subjects (take lots of math first!).  The scientific world needs folks who can think outside the box!
1100050
Galaxies, planets, stars and some moons only spin under gravity and gravitational influence. If the universe is spinning it would require a massive gravational core or gravity core. If so then we will be swallowed by such a force that we wouldn't be here now.\nIn the looks of galaxies, they are being thrown away from the centre of the universe by a force rather than a spin. So if everything is pulling away then if there is a spin there would be gravity and we wouldn't be going outwards we would be going inwards. Nothing else could cause such a force for a spin but gravity and that's impossible and anything else would not function to physics.