Where Is the Universe? Containment, Location, and the Limits of Cosmological Description

This conceptual research paper examines the everyday question "Where is the universe?" through the lens of relativistic cosmology, general relativity, FLRW models, cosmic microwave background measurements, and the philosophy of place and space. It develops six core theses addressing container regresses, observational horizons, finite-without-edge geometries, relational spatial locations, temporal origins (the Big Bang), and definitions of the multiverse and physical reality. The work distinguishes four distinct senses of "outside" (extensional, causal, modal, and metaphysical) to clarify which parts of the question are empirical, open problems, or metaphysical.