Transcript Space is Big…

Space is Big…
Really Really Big
“Space is big. Really big.
You just won’t believe how
vastly, hugely, mindbogglingly big it is. I mean,
you may think it’s a long way
down the road to the
chemist’s, but that’s just
peanuts to space.”
Here are the planets in the solar system, for example,
to give you a sense of scale…
Here are the planets compared to our sun
Here’s our sun compared to some close neighbours…
…and they keep getting bigger…
…and bigger…
…and right up to the biggest one we know of.
Planet’s Diameter Compared to Earth:
Earth 12,756.3 km
Mercury 4,880 km
Mars 6,794 km
Venus 12,103.6 km
Uranus 49,532 km (equatorial)
Nepture 51,118 km (equatorial)
Saturn 120,536 km (equatorial)
Jupiter 142,984 km (equatorial)
Note: Pluto has been downgraded to a planetoid, so
it doesn’t get a mention anymore…
Stars Diameters:
The Sun 1,390,000 km - 1 solar diameter (108.97 X
the Earth)
Sirus (WHITE STAR)1.7 solar diameter
Pollux - 9.1 solar diameter
Arcturus - 26 solar diameter
Aldebaran - 40-52 solar diameter
Betelgeuse - 650 solar diameter
Antares - 700 solar diameter
VV Cephei A, the supergiant, is one of the largest
stars known.
It is of spectral type M2 and is about 1600–1900
times the Sun's diameter.
If it replaced the Sun in our solar system, it would
extend pass the orbit of Jupiter and extend near the
orbit of Saturn.
It is 275,000-575,000 times as luminous as the Sun.
The mass of the star is unknown.
The mass estimated from its orbital motion is about
100 solar masses.
On the other hand, the mass estimated from its
luminosity is about 25-40 solar masses.