I’m unclear about this. Suppose a star formed 10 billion years ago, and we are just today seeing the first light from that star. According to the expanding universe theory, the Earth and that new star were closer together 10 billion years ago than today. So depending on how fast the universe is expanding, does that mean it would take, say for example, 11 billion years for that 10 billion year old light to reach us?

Furthermore, right after the big bang everything was closer together, so how can we be seeing the cosmic background radiation from the big bang by looking far into the distance? Why would that radiation only be at the edge of the universe? Things in the “center” of the universe are just as old are they not?

Please help to clarify these questions for me. Thanks in advance.

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