Tag Archives: size and scale

The Largest Structure in the Universe

Posted on April 11, 2016 by clharrell

Through our studies of the solar system this semester, we have focused particularly on the scale of the universe. Throughout the cosmos, there are countless structures that are far more massive than any we perceive. Our galaxy is held together by gravity, forming a cluster. We can also observe clusters being held together by gravity […] Continue reading →

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The Lonely Giant – NGC 1600

Posted on April 10, 2016 by briannagalgano

Astronomers have discovered an enormously massive galaxy, NGC 1600, 209 light years away. NGC 1600 is an elliptical galaxy that is 17,000,000,000 billion solar masses. There are many massive black holes in the Universe (Source). In fact, there is a black hole at the center of every galaxy. It is thought that perhaps black holes […] Continue reading →

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Size and Scale

Posted on January 26, 2016 by jgarrett9

The Universe is absolutely massive, and it never fails to impress us when there is a new way of seeing how truly large it is. Every time there is a new video or a picture of a tiny dot next to an enormous ball that helps us visualize how enormous the scale of the Universe… Continue reading →

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The Vast Size and Scale of the Universe

Posted on January 25, 2016 by clharrell

Image Source The universe is so massive that it is difficult to grasp a sense of scale. In the image above, you can see what astrophysicists call the “observable universe.” This is unique to the entire universe because it excludes the parts of space that are so far away that their light has not had […] Continue reading →

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“The Incandescent Sun”

Posted on March 20, 2013 by wherrysg

Source Check out this video from NASA of the Sun over a 24-hour period of time! The video frames are measuring output in extreme ultraviolet. According to this article, viewing the Sun in this wavelength allows us to view the plasma in its atmosphere (called Corona). But what is interesting is that the same magnetic […] Continue reading →

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A Light Perspective

Posted on January 27, 2013 by wherrysg

Source The fact that I have been unable to truly grasp the size of the universe–much less be able to put into perspective things like the speed of sound and light–I believe is largely attributed to this topic (Astronomy) involving surreal and almost unimaginable concepts. Much of my experience with the concept of the speed […] Continue reading →

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