Some 12 billion years ago the universe emerged from a hot, dense sea of matter and energy. As the cosmos expanded and cooled, it spawned galaxies, stars, planets and life. Since the beginning of human civilization, people have always questioned the origins of their existence and the creation of the universe. Cosmology, the scientific study of the large scale structure and evolution of the universe, has developed and evolved in response to the human need to …showed first 75 words of 2341 total…

…showed last 75 words of 2341 total…space satellite and the Hubble spacecraft, they will undoubtedly discover more elements of the universe that will contribute to our understanding of its evolution. "Smaller" questions such as the lack of antimatter, the universe status before creation, and the possibilities of universal contraction still puzzle scientists. However, the biggest question that they have yet to determine is whether the universe will expand indefinitely or will ultimately collapse upon itself and perhaps repeat the process, forever.