Dear Yousuf Khan:

"Yousuf Khan" wrote in message
ps.com...
Here's a question that's been puzzling me. If the universe is
expanding, and the further an object (e.g. a galaxy) is away
from us, the faster it is moving away from us.

Not really. The motion of the object is unsurprising when
compared to stars of the same age. Some of which were our
progenitors. So expansion of space doesn't involve "kinetic
motion" or mysterious "acceleration of mass". (Acceleration of
expansion is a different matter.)

Are there parts of space so far
away from us that it's expanding away from us *faster* than
the speed of light?

We expect so, yes.

From what I understand the speed of light limitation doesn't
apply to the expansion of space itself.

Correct, since the "endpoints of observation" are not local.

Therefore the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation isn't
the cloak that surrounds the secrets of the Big Bang,

It is believed to be, yes. Choose a different word than
"isn't"...

but just the curtain around
a part of the universe that is now out of contact with us. An
endlessly expanding universe sure, but one that never had
a beginning?

It is also expected to have had a beginning. The current
distribution of matter around us is not pure iron, which an
inifnite Universe would produce. Nor are there iron to hydrogen
conversion engines predicted or observable, with anywhere near
the amounts required.

http://alumni.imsa.edu/~mhoemmen/Topics/Hubble/
.... down to the paragraph after Lemaitre's "Big Bang" Theory
http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~wright/age.html
"Age of the Universe"
http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~wright/co...y_faq.html#OSC
"What about the oscillating Universe"
http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~wright/cosmo_01.htm
.... and the tutorial

David A. Smith