The Big Bang What was the Big Bang?

Universe in a box! Get yours now and be the envy of your friends! Available in two sizes; Yawn and Crunch. The Big Yawn The Big Crunch

The Big Yawn starts with low mass and explodes outwards.

In the early universe most of the matter is at temperatures so high that atoms cannot hold together. Matter and energy spread out at very high speed and start to cool down.

In the young universe the temperature has dropped and atoms start to form. Gravity starts to pull these together into clouds of dust.

In the middle-aged universe some of the dust clouds have collapsed into stars. These shine brightly and start to make heavier elements like iron. Some explode and spread these atoms out into space. Some of these iron- rich dust clouds collapse into planets.

The universe it is still expanding. Only gravity can stop it now but there is not enough mass in the whole universe to create enough gravity. It just gets larger and larger.

And the stars start to run out of fuel. The universe cools and eventually everything is dark. The end. This is the big yawn.

The Big Crunch starts with large mass and explodes outwards.

In the early universe most of the matter is at temperatures so high that atoms cannot hold together. Matter and energy spread out at very high speed and start to cool down.

In the young universe the temperature has dropped and atoms start to form. Gravity starts to pull these together into clouds of dust.

In the middle-aged universe some of the dust clouds have collapsed into stars. These shine brightly and start to make heavier elements like iron. Some explode and spread these atoms out into space. Some of these iron- rich dust clouds collapse into planets.

As the universe gets older the stars start to run out of energy and start to go out. The universe is still expanding – but more slowly now. Gravity starts to pull the universe back together again.

The collapsing universe – gravity starts to suck the stars and planets back towards the centre. Everything is pulled into a big crunch and (we think!) the whole process starts again.