What it States
The Steady State theory states that the univese has always been the same and will always be the same. It states that the universe never didn't exist and never won't exist. The theory states that although the universe is expanding, it always remains balanced. In order to balance the decrease in density caused by the expansion of the universe, new matter is created, with new galaxies replacing old galaxies.
Who Proposed it
The steady state theory was developed during the 1940s by Hermann Bondi, Thomas Gold, and Sir Fred Hoyle. It has very little support today due to reasons shown below.
Who Supports It
Most Cosmologists do not support this theory. It did have a large following during the 50s and 60s.
Proof Against/Proof For
When the steady state theory was originally proposed, the estimates for the age of the universe under the big bang theory were thought to be about 2 billion years. However our solar system is 5 billion years old and there are stars that are 12 billion years old. The steady state theory solved this problem by the universe always existing, therefore objects that are very old could exist.
The steady state theory was first disproved when quasars were discovered in the 60s. A quasar is what is thought to be a massive black hole powering a luminous galaxy core. Because they are billions of light years away, we are effectively viewing what the universe was like billions of years ago. This means that because the structure of these quasars is very different to the structure of the universe today, it indicates that the steady state theory cannot be correct because the universe has changed.
Cosmic Background Radiation also played a part in disproving the theory. The supporters of the steady state theory explained this radiation as the light from ancient stars which was absorbed by particles and emitted in all directions. This was disproved because the radiation was level in spread and density, meaning that it could not have come from multiple small sources.
Who Proposed it
The steady state theory was developed during the 1940s by Hermann Bondi, Thomas Gold, and Sir Fred Hoyle. It has very little support today due to reasons shown below.
Who Supports It
Most Cosmologists do not support this theory. It did have a large following during the 50s and 60s.
Proof Against/Proof For
When the steady state theory was originally proposed, the estimates for the age of the universe under the big bang theory were thought to be about 2 billion years. However our solar system is 5 billion years old and there are stars that are 12 billion years old. The steady state theory solved this problem by the universe always existing, therefore objects that are very old could exist.
The steady state theory was first disproved when quasars were discovered in the 60s. A quasar is what is thought to be a massive black hole powering a luminous galaxy core. Because they are billions of light years away, we are effectively viewing what the universe was like billions of years ago. This means that because the structure of these quasars is very different to the structure of the universe today, it indicates that the steady state theory cannot be correct because the universe has changed.
Cosmic Background Radiation also played a part in disproving the theory. The supporters of the steady state theory explained this radiation as the light from ancient stars which was absorbed by particles and emitted in all directions. This was disproved because the radiation was level in spread and density, meaning that it could not have come from multiple small sources.