TheBig Bangtheoryaccounts for the fact that the universeexpandedfrom a very high density and high temperature state,and offers a comprehensive explanation for a broad range of phenomena, including the abundance oflight elements, thecosmic microwave background,large scale structureandHubble's Law.If the known laws of physics are extrapolated to the highest density regime, the result is asingularitywhich is typically associated with the Big Bang. Detailed measurements of the expansion rate of the universe place this moment at approximately 13.8billionyears ago, which is thus considered theage of the universe.After the initial expansion, the universe cooled sufficiently to allow the formation ofsubatomic particles, and later simpleatoms. Giant clouds of these primordial elements later coalesced throughgravityin halos ofdark matter, eventually forming thestarsandgalaxiesvisible today.