[DannyTN]

"there is no "distance to the Big Bang" It was everywhere, in a certain sense. Sort of like the light being everywhere as reported in Genesis. The light (or energy) of the big bang filled the entire universe as it then existed. Took a while for the universe to "cool" enough that matter could even exist."

So how does that change anything? Light fills the universe. Universe begins expanding. 13 billion years later the Earth receives light from a galaxy 12 billion lightyears away.

Are you claiming when that galaxy and our galaxy were formed during the big bang they were already 12 billion light years away?

And if so, how did the light suddenly fill the universe everywhere simulataneously. Didn't that energy still need to propogate through the universe?

[El Gato]

Are you claiming when that galaxy and our galaxy were formed during the big bang they were already 12 billion light years away?

No, at the instant of the Big Bang, the universe had no size. But it expanded. At the time the light was emitted from that galaxcy, the Milky Way galaxcy and that one were less than 12 billion light years apart. Now they are 12 billion light years apart. And if so, how did the light suddenly fill the universe everywhere simulataneously. Didn't that energy still need to propogate through the universe?

The Universe was much smaller then, much much smaller. The universe consisted only of the "light" at that point. Where by "light" one means energy, in the form of radiation. You can't really say "electromanetic radiation", because at that point there was no distinction between the electromagnetic forces and field and the weak and strong nulcear forces/field.

That pretty well exhausts my understanding. See various works by Stephen Hawkings, those written for the layman first. Then if you are glutten for punishment, those written for physicists. :)

also see :

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/hawking/html/home.html

http://www.stintercorp.com/physics/OSHU.html

http://www.leaderu.com/real/ri9404/bigbang.html

The best is to get the CD or tapes of Hawkings lectures. He paints some great word pictures with his voice synthisizer.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0780631315/gifts4hernet/104-5782130-8243962

or the DVDs of "Stephen Hawkings Universe" available at amazon.com and other places.

or the book version, also available at amazon and others.

"Stephen Hawkings Universe: The Cosmos Explained" and his other books.

http://www.amazon.com/o/dt/assoc/handle-buy-box=0465081983

http://www.leaderu.com/real/ri9404/bigbang.html