Transcript Scale - Physics @ IUPUI

Goal to explore the scale of the
universe
Objectives:
1) To explore planetary sizes
2) To explore star sizes/planetary distances
3) To explore distances between stars
4) To explore galaxy size
5) To explore groupings of galaxies
6) To explore the observable universe
The moon
• 2000 miles
Mercury
Earth
Jupiter
Sun
• 110X
size of
Earth
If sun was 1 cm in diameter
• Aldeberan orbit of Mercury (40 cm)
• Betelgeuse orbit of Saturn (10 m)
• VY Canis Majoris orbit of Uranus (14 m)
• Orbit of Neptune at 30 AU (30 m)
Distances to stars
• Nearest to sun, 25 trillion miles
• If the diameter of the sun was 1 cm the
nearest star would be 300 km away.
• If Neptune was 1 cm from sun the nearest star
would be 80 m away.
400 light
years
• If sun to
Nearest star
Was 1 cm
Betelgeuse
Would be
1 m away.
1500 Light
Years
http://www.ldps.ws/Mirror/Universe/galaxy.html
Local group http://www.anzwers.org/free/u
niverse/
Nearby
region of the
universe
1 billion
light
years
Universe
Conclusion
• The universe is a very big place.
• Its scale dwarfs everything and requires
multiple scales to understand.