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Article: Cosmology
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- Space Sciences
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CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Cosmology
Cosmology is the study of the origin and evolution of the universe. In the last half of the twentieth century, astronomers made enormous progress in understanding cosmology. The discovery that the universe apparently began at a specific point in time and has continued to evolve ever since is one of the most revolutionary discoveries in science.
The History of the Universe: In the Beginning
The universe began in what astronomers dubbed the "Big Bang"
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an initial event, after which the universe began to expand. Current estimates place the Big Bang at about 13 to 15
×
10
9
years ago. During the first seconds after the Big Bang, the universe was extremely hot and dense. ...