▁of ▁distant ▁galaxies ; ▁grav itation ally ▁bound ▁objects ▁like ▁the ▁Mil ky ▁Way ▁do ▁not ▁expand ▁and ▁the ▁And rom eda ▁galax y ▁is ▁moving ▁fast ▁enough ▁towards ▁us ▁that ▁it ▁will ▁still ▁merge ▁with ▁the ▁Mil ky ▁Way ▁in ▁ 3 ▁billion ▁years ▁time , ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁also ▁likely ▁that ▁the ▁merged ▁super gal axy ▁that ▁forms ▁will ▁eventually ▁fall ▁in ▁and ▁merge ▁with ▁the ▁nearby ▁Vir go ▁Cl uster . ▁However , ▁galaxies ▁lying ▁farther ▁away ▁from ▁this ▁will ▁re ced e ▁away ▁at ▁ever - in cre asing ▁speed ▁and ▁be ▁red shift ed ▁out ▁of ▁our ▁range ▁of ▁visibility . ▁ ▁Met ric ▁expansion ▁and ▁speed ▁of ▁light ▁At ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁early ▁universe ' s ▁infl ation ary ▁period , ▁all ▁the ▁matter ▁and ▁energy ▁in ▁the ▁universe ▁was ▁set ▁on ▁an ▁in ert ial ▁traject ory ▁consistent ▁with ▁the ▁equivalence ▁principle ▁and ▁Ein stein ' s ▁general ▁theory ▁of ▁relativ ity ▁and ▁this ▁is ▁when ▁the ▁precise ▁and ▁regular ▁form ▁of ▁the ▁universe ' s ▁expansion ▁had ▁its ▁origin ▁( that ▁is , ▁matter ▁in ▁the ▁universe ▁is ▁separ ating ▁because ▁it ▁was ▁separ ating ▁in ▁the ▁past ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁infl aton ▁field ). ▁ ▁While ▁special ▁relativ ity ▁prohib its ▁objects ▁from ▁moving ▁faster ▁than ▁light ▁with ▁respect ▁to ▁a ▁local ▁reference ▁frame ▁where ▁spac etime ▁can ▁be ▁treated ▁as ▁flat ▁and ▁un ch anging , ▁it ▁does ▁not ▁apply ▁to ▁situations ▁where ▁spac etime ▁curv ature ▁or ▁evolution ▁in ▁time ▁become