Basic Cosmology Assumptions
• Homogeneity – matter is uniformly spread across
the universe on large scales
• Isotropy – the universe looks the same in all
directions, again strictly true on large scales
• Universality – laws of physics apply everywhere in
the universe (being challenged!)
– These lead to the “cosmological principle” which says
that any observer in any galaxy in the universe should see
essentially the same features of the universe.