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| any of various groups of stars to which definite names have been given and the section of the heavens occupied by such a group, such as Ursa Major, Andromeda |
| any of the nine large heavenly bodies revolving about the sun and shining by reflected light: a similar body revolving about a star other than the sun |
In astronomy, a theory according to which the universe began billions of years ago in a single event, similar to an explosion. There is evidence for the Big Bang theory in the observed red shift of distant galaxies, which indicates that they are moving away from the Earth, in the existence of cosmic microwave background, and from other data. The Big Bang theory of the origin of the universe is accepted by most astronomers today.
Note: Scientists have recently found that the expansion of the universe is actually speeding up. This effect is attributed to the presence of dark energy.