• Registered: 2005-10-16

Topic: How big is our galaxy...?

...let alone the universe(s)?

Florida State University has put up a very interesting page on its site.  It begins as a view of the Milky Way Galaxy viewed from a distance of 10 million light years and then zooms in towards earth in powers of ten.  10 million to 100,000 light years and then it finally reaches a large oak tree and continues to the sub atomic level.  Enjoy this at...

http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/java … index.html

cheers

"The unknown does not incite fear, but dependence on the known does." - J. Krishnamurti

visavis's Website

  • Registered: 2005-10-10

Re: How big is our galaxy...?

WoW, visavis; very cool link. Gets me thinking on the micro->macro-cosmic relation. As above, So below?
Spiral Galaxy->Spiral DNA, hmmm....

wikipedia has this:
"The Milky Way Galaxy is about 80,000 to 100,000 light years in diameter, about 3,000 light years in thickness, and about 250-300 thousand light years in circumference. It is composed of 200 to 400 billion stars (exact number not yet known). As a guide to the relative physical scale of the Milky Way, if the galaxy were reduced to 130 km (80 mi) in diameter, the solar system would be a mere 2 mm (0.08 in) in width." source

There's also something about absolute magnitude. I'm still trying to figure that one out.

'Namu-amida-butsu!'
  • lyra
  • lyra
  • Naked Emperor Pointer Outer
  • Offline
  • From: my own private idaho
  • Registered: 2004-03-25

Re: How big is our galaxy...?

Just remember a really neat C's quote when Laura asked them how big the universe is. 

Their response, They didn't want to answer that because it would be like telling a four year old child that there is no Santa Claus.

!

"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "Holy shit ... what a ride!"  - Anonymous
-----
"I get by with a little help from my (higher density) friends."
-----

lyra's Website