Scale of Earth, Sun, Galaxy, and Universe
The scale of the Earth, Sun, galaxy, and universe is a staggering journey from the intimately familiar to the incomprehensibly vast. At the center lies our planet, a tiny speck in the vastness of space, orbiting an average-sized star, the Sun. Beyond, our galaxy, the Milky Way, contains billions of stars, with our solar system just one among many. Zooming out further reveals the incomprehensible vastness of the universe, containing billions of galaxies like our own, each with countless stars and planets. Understanding this scale invites us to contemplate our place in the cosmos and the wonders that lie beyond our earthly perspective.
Questions
- What is the ratio size of the sun and the moon to the earth and distance?
- Which is the nearest star to the Earth: The Sun or Alpha Centauri?
- Which galaxy is closest to us?
- What is galaxy space?
- How many known planets are in our galaxy?
- If a star has a parallax of 0.05 arcseconds then what is its distance?
- What is below or above the earth in space? If we went a few light years below the earth would we find anything?
- How is the distance from the Earth to the nearest star (aside from our sun) calculated?
- How many Astronomical Units is 1 parsec?
- How many known planets are in our solar system?
- How is the semi-major axis found if perihelion and aphelion distance are known?
- By how much does the distance between the earth and sun change?
- Are there planets in the Zeta Reticuli binary star system?
- Why does earth's distance from the sun change?
- What are the advantages of using the Parsec over the lightyear?
- What is the shape of the universe?
- How many galaxies are there estimated to be in the known universe? Some say about 100 billion, and others even say up to 1 trillion. Which estimate would be closer to the actual number?
- What is the actual size of the universe?
- What makes galaxies different colors?
- How many light years away is the closest galaxy to ours and what is it called?