Large-scale
structure ® filaments
or ‘walls’ of galaxies,
voids
with few galaxies,
but no
structure > 200 Mpc
\ Cosmological
principle (anti-Ptolemaic)
on very large scales, universe is
homogeneous, isotropic
homogeneous
-- same density everywhere at same time
isotropic -- same in all directions
i.e. no edge, no center
Olbers’
paradox - why is night sky dark?
® universe must be finite in
space/time
(Newton –infinite,
“flat,”static)
Einstein ® Cosmological Constant L to counteract contraction
OR
expansion (not physical but
makes relativity and & static theory agree)
Hubble recession of galaxies ® expanding universe
AND age of universe