<p>In principle, the universe <em>could</em> be geometrically flat (as the evidence indicates) and still "wrap around" as you describe. In the old game Asteroids, when you went off one edge of the screen, you came back in the opposite edge. That is the topology of a torus, but geometrically the screen is flat. There is no mathematical reason the universe could not be like this in its three spatial dimensions. The book <em>The Shape of Space</em> by Jeffrey Weeks discusses this possibility.</p>

<p>I think most cosmologists consider this so unlikely that it's not worth investigating, but I believe some people have reviewed existing data to see if there are statistical patterns in galaxy distribution that would indicate this kind of "closed manifold" structure. They didn't find anything.</p>

<p>So it looks like the answer is No - all the galaxies we see are different. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-05T22:20:42.153Z
There seem to be some things which pose a problem to the standard model but could point to or be explained by a connected (maybe 3-torus) universe though: -Aurich et al.: *The variance of the CMB temperature gradient: a new signature of a multiply connected Universe*, Lee et al.: *Mysterious Coherence in Several-megaparsec Scales between Galaxy Rotation and Neighbor Motion*, Müller et al.: *A whirling plane of satellite galaxies around Centaurus A challenges cold dark matter cosmology*
Shakesbeer
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-20T16:59:24.747Z
2019-11-20T16:59:24.747Z
Mark Foskey
<blockquote>
  <p>Could this occur if the distant body is moving laterally at a fast enough velocity relative to our position</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Nope. I mean if the universe is flat it doesnt matter how fast the object goes you cannot see it twice in the sky. </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>or if the shape of the universe itself loops around?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Yes. If the universe has a positive curvature. When we look at the sky, we can see the same object in two opposite directions. </p>

<p>In our universe this is not possible since if the universe is positively curved then the radius of curvature is much larger then the size of the observable universe. So its highly unlikely that we will see the same object in two different positions in the sky. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-19T14:28:39.853Z
2019-11-19T14:28:39.853Z
seVenVo1d
<p>I'm not sure if this is the correct stackexchange site for this question.</p>

<p>I've been reading this article on Vice Motherboard <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/zmj7pw/theres-growing-evidence-that-the-universe-is-connected-by-giant-structures" rel="nofollow noreferrer">There’s Growing Evidence That the Universe Is Connected by Giant Structures</a> which while admittedly simplified for simpler folk like me put me wondering:</p>

<p>Is it at all possible that when we look out in to the distant universe in one direction, we are seeing the same galaxies and stars at a different point in time than if we look out in another direction? Could this occur if the distant body is moving laterally at a fast enough velocity relative to our position, or if the shape of the universe itself loops around?</p>

<p>Or is this not a proper interpretation of current theories of cosmology? </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-12T18:44:10.540Z
I would not recommend using Vice as a source of any authentic science.
Carl Witthoft
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-12T20:58:49.350Z
Not suggesting it is! Just put me thinking about my question is all. They don't posit that in the article
beirtipol
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-05T22:30:48.313Z
Now this is why I am wondering whether it makes sense at all to search for double views of the same celestial objects to proof that our universe is a "connected" one: Shouldn't wee see the same object in different times because the light for every view of it would have taken a different "loop", longer or shorter, depending on the location of the object relative to us?
Shakesbeer
<cosmology><observable-universe>
Could different views of the universe simply be different points in time?
beirtipol
# Could different views of the universe simply be different points in time?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-11-12)

I'm not sure if this is the correct stackexchange site for this question.

I've been reading this article on Vice Motherboard [There’s Growing Evidence That the Universe Is Connected by Giant Structures](https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/zmj7pw/theres-growing-evidence-that-the-universe-is-connected-by-giant-structures) which while admittedly simplified for simpler folk like me put me wondering:

Is it at all possible that when we look out in to the distant universe in one direction, we are seeing the same galaxies and stars at a different point in time than if we look out in another direction? Could this occur if the distant body is moving laterally at a fast enough velocity relative to our position, or if the shape of the universe itself loops around?

Or is this not a proper interpretation of current theories of cosmology?

**Tags:** cosmology, observable-universe
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I would not recommend using Vice as a source of any authentic science.  
> **username_0**: Not suggesting it is! Just put me thinking about my question is all. They don't posit that in the article  
> **username_2**: Now this is why I am wondering whether it makes sense at all to search for double views of the same celestial objects to proof that our universe is a "connected" one: Shouldn't wee see the same object in different times because the light for every view of it would have taken a different "loop", longer or shorter, depending on the location of the object relative to us?  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2019-11-20. Score: 1

In principle, the universe *could* be geometrically flat (as the evidence indicates) and still "wrap around" as you describe. In the old game Asteroids, when you went off one edge of the screen, you came back in the opposite edge. That is the topology of a torus, but geometrically the screen is flat. There is no mathematical reason the universe could not be like this in its three spatial dimensions. The book *The Shape of Space* by Jeffrey Weeks discusses this possibility.

I think most cosmologists consider this so unlikely that it's not worth investigating, but I believe some people have reviewed existing data to see if there are statistical patterns in galaxy distribution that would indicate this kind of "closed manifold" structure. They didn't find anything.

So it looks like the answer is No - all the galaxies we see are different.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: There seem to be some things which pose a problem to the standard model but could point to or be explained by a connected (maybe 3-torus) universe though: -Aurich et al.: *The variance of the CMB temperature gradient: a new signature of a multiply connected Universe*, Lee et al.: *Mysterious Coherence in Several-megaparsec Scales between Galaxy Rotation and Neighbor Motion*, Müller et al.: *A whirling plane of satellite galaxies around Centaurus A challenges cold dark matter cosmology*  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2019-11-19. Score: 1

> Could this occur if the distant body is moving laterally at a fast enough velocity relative to our position

Nope. I mean if the universe is flat it doesnt matter how fast the object goes you cannot see it twice in the sky.

> or if the shape of the universe itself loops around?

Yes. If the universe has a positive curvature. When we look at the sky, we can see the same object in two opposite directions.

In our universe this is not possible since if the universe is positively curved then the radius of curvature is much larger then the size of the observable universe. So its highly unlikely that we will see the same object in two different positions in the sky.


---

