Why is it not possible to look all the way back to the Big Bang itself?
A) Photons are not produced until the stars begin to shine at a redshift of z = 20.
B) From redshifts of z =0 to 100, photons are gravitationally lensed by the dark matter in the universe.
C) At redshifts of z $\gt$ 1,000, most of the photons are blocked by large amounts of cold gas and dust.
D) For redshifts of z $\gt$ 1,000, photons are heavily altered because they easily react with individual protons and electrons in the universe.
E) Photons from the Big Bang would be so strongly redshifted that we could never detect them.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Before the universe became transparent, photons were constantly interacting with protons and electrons, preventing them from traveling freely. This period is known as the "opaque" era, and it ended when the universe cooled enough for electrons and protons to combine into neutral hydrogen, allowing photons to travel freely. This is why we cannot see back to the Big Bang itself.

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