Where is the Centre of the Universe?

When we look up at the night sky, it’s natural to wonder where we stand in the grand design of the universe. We wonder and ask the question: where is the centre of the universe? Is Earth at the centre of it all? Did the Big Bang erupt from a specific point? And if the universe is expanding, what exactly is it expanding into?

These are some of the most relatable questions about the nature of our universe that come to everyone's mind. So, in this article, we will cover all the doubts related to the nature of our universe. So, let’s dive into this article in detail.

A Century of Discovery: Hubble, Einstein & the Expanding Universe

In the 1920s, astronomer Edwin Hubble made two groundbreaking observations:

• He discovered that distant “island universes”—now known as “galaxies”—existed far beyond the Milky Way.

Source: Space.com

• He also noticed that these galaxies were moving away from us, no matter where he looked.

Around the same time, Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity suggested that the universe couldn’t be static—it must either be expanding or contracting.

This led to the development of a set of equations called the “Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker (FLRW) metric,” which laid the foundation for modern cosmology. Together, Hubble’s observations and Einstein’s theory revealed a stunning reality: we live in an expanding universe that once began in a dense, hot state called the Big Bang.

So, where is the centre of the universe?

It might feel intuitive to ask: What happens to the Big Bang? And where is the central point from which the universe began expanding?

The surprising answer: There is no centre of the universe.

Here are its reasons for not being the centre of the universe:

No Edge, No centre

• The universe includes everything that exists. If there’s nothing “outside” it, there’s no edge—and without an edge, there can be no centre.

• The universe might be infinite, or it might be finite but unbounded, like the surface of a sphere that wraps around itself.

What about the Earth's surface?

The Earth’s surface has an analogy throughout the whole area of Earth. There is no doubt that Earth is finite, but it doesn't have any edge. You could keep walking and eventually return to your starting point—but where would you say the centre is?

Similarly, the universe curves in ways we can't easily visualise in 3D space. Even if it’s finite, it doesn’t have a central point from which everything expands.

What About the Big Bang?

A common misconception is that the Big Bang was an explosion from a point in space.

• Truth: The Big Bang wasn't a point in space—it was a point in time.

• It occurred everywhere at once, including the spot you're in right now.

• As space itself expanded, every part of the universe began stretching away from every other part.

So instead of space expanding from a central spot, space itself is expanding everywhere.

Why It Feels Like We're at the centre

Despite all this, it seems like we are in the centre because:

• From Earth, we see galaxies moving away in all directions.

• The observable universe (what we can actually see) extends about 45 billion light-years in all directions.

• This limit exists because light takes time to reach us, and the universe has a finite age (about 13.77 billion years).

But here’s the twist: every galaxy sees the same thing. To observers in a galaxy billions of light-years away, they also appear to be at the centre.

Finite vs Infinite Universe Models

Key Takeaways

• The universe has no physical centre.

• The Big Bang happened everywhere in space at the same time.

• Every observer in the universe sees themselves as the centre of their observable universe.

• The universe is either infinite or finite but curved, but in both cases, it has no edge and no centre.

Final Thought: Are We Special?

In cosmic terms, we're not in a special place. But that doesn't make our existence any less meaningful. Understanding the universe in this way invites us to appreciate just how strange and wonderful reality is—and how far our curiosity has taken us in just 100 years.