Cheap Astronomy - Dear CA # 81: Distant Horizons

If the Big Bang happened 13.8 billion years ago how come we can still see it?  What we can see is the cosmic microwave background, the CMB, which was a flash of light that actually occurred about 380,000 years after the Big Bang.   How can we observe things that are receding from us at faster than the speed of light?  So, as is well understood by regular Cheap Astronomy listeners – and probably other astronomy podcast listeners, the Universe’s expansion has an additive effect over distance.   We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs.  Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can! Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too!  Every bit helps! Thank you! ------------------------------------ Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.  Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at [email protected].