Based on evidence of the red shift of stars and galaxies, scientists now know that

the universe is expanding. This evidence, known as the Hubble red shift, shows that the vast majority of galaxies are moving away from us and from each other. The red shift occurs because light waves from these galaxies get stretched as they travel through expanding space, causing their wavelengths to lengthen towards the red end of the spectrum. This phenomenon indicates that the universe is not static but continuously growing in size.