The expansion of the universe is a concept described by the theory of cosmology, and it can lead to some counterintuitive ideas regarding the maximum speed of light (c) and the apparent recession of distant galaxies. However, it is important to distinguish between the expansion of space itself and the motion of objects within space.
According to our current understanding, the expansion of the universe does not violate the principle that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light. The expansion of space itself is not subject to this speed limit because it is the fabric of the universe that is stretching, rather than objects within it moving through space.
To illustrate this, consider a simple analogy: imagine drawing dots on the surface of an inflating balloon. As the balloon inflates, the distance between any two dots on the surface increases. However, this expansion does not prevent an individual dot from moving around on the surface of the balloon at speeds less than the speed of light. The dots themselves are not moving away from each other; rather, the space between them is expanding.
Similarly, in our universe, galaxies and other celestial objects can move relative to each other at speeds less than the speed of light, despite the expansion of space. The expansion affects the large-scale structure of the universe, causing the distances between galaxies to increase over time. However, on smaller scales, the gravitational interactions between objects can counteract the expansion, allowing objects to move relative to each other.
It's worth noting that the expansion of the universe does have implications for the observable universe. As space expands, the light from distant galaxies traveling through this expanding space can experience a phenomenon known as cosmological redshift. This causes the light to become stretched to longer wavelengths, shifting it towards the red end of the spectrum. However, this does not imply that the galaxies themselves are moving away from us faster than the speed of light.
In summary, while the expansion of the universe can lead to an apparent recession of distant galaxies, it does not violate the principle that objects within space are limited to traveling at speeds equal to or less than the speed of light. The expansion affects the large-scale structure of the universe but does not change the fundamental nature of the maximum speed of light.