Answer to Question #142841 in Astronomy | Astrophysics for Hadden

Question

The big rip theory suggest the possibility of the universe being ripped apart by the force of dark energy. With some physicist suggesting it’s going to be too severe to the extend that individual atoms will be ripped off from the universe, leading to a complete annilation but isn’t an exponential expansion and an actual interstellar redshift supposed to mean at one point, everything will be so far from each other? So how is everything going to be ripped apart?

Answer 1

Dark energy will lead to expansion of universe making, everything, from galaxies, planets and atomic particles to space-time itself, which will eventually be torn apart before vanishing from view.