The Big Bang has a lot to do with what could happen to the universe in the future. Since the Big Bang, the universe has been getting bigger, which leads us to think about how it might end up. Let’s break down a few important ideas:

1. How Fast It’s Expanding: The universe isn’t just expanding; it’s speeding up! This is because of something called dark energy. This makes us wonder how this speediness might change things in the universe over a long time.

2. What Might Happen in the End: There are three main ideas about what could happen to the universe:

   • Keep Getting Bigger: If dark energy stays the same, the universe could keep stretching forever. This would lead to a "Big Freeze." In this case, stars would eventually burn out, and everything would become dark and cold.
   • Big Crunch: If there’s a lot of matter (stuff) in the universe, gravity might stop the expansion and pull everything back together, causing a collapse.
   • Big Rip: If dark energy gets stronger over time, it could rip apart galaxies, stars, and even tiny atoms.

3. What is Dark Matter?: Dark matter helps shape the universe. It plays a role in keeping galaxies and groups of stars together as everything expands.

Understanding these ideas not only changes how we think about space but also encourages us to learn more about the rules of physics!