The Scale of the Universe (re-run)
This is a re-run of a post that I originally wrote Nov 11, 2015. I think it goes well with the recent posts on the expanding universe. I added some additional closing thoughts. Arguably, one of the most important concepts one learns from studying astronomy, is the astounding vastness of the cosmos. This vastness extends not only out to the very VERY large and far away – it extends down to the very VERY small. The human mind is ill-equipped to grasp the scale of the universe – but we can sure give it a try! Over the last few decades, several videos have been made showing the scale of the Universe. 1977: The iconic Powers of Ten video – remember: this was made before computer graphics: 1980: Cosmos: “The Edge of Forever” – Carl Sagan discusses the origins and structure of the Universe, and gives us the quote: “We are made of star stuff; we are a way for the … Continue reading →