The diameter of the observable universe is at least 93 billion light years or 8.80×1026. The diameter of the Milky Way is about 100,000 light-years across.
The universe is commonly defined as the totality of everything that exists, including all physical matter and energy, the planets, stars, galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space.
According to general relativity, space can expand faster than the speed of light, although we can view only a small portion of the universe due to the limitation imposed by light speed. Since we cannot observe space beyond the limitations of light (or any electromagnetic radiation), it is uncertain whether the size of the universe is finite or infinite.
The 3-D map, constructed with the help of U.S. and Chilean telescopes,
represents 10 years of research by the scientists.
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| click to enlarge |
There are more than 170 billion (1.7 × 1011) galaxies in the observable universe. Most galaxies are 1,000 to 100,000 parsecs (a parsec is 3.26 light years) in diameter and are usually separated by distances on the order of millions of parsecs (or megaparsecs).
Although it is not yet well understood, dark matter appears to account for around 90% of the mass of most galaxies.
Typical galaxies range from dwarfs with as few as ten million (107) stars, up to giants with a hundred trillion (1014) stars, all orbiting the galaxy's center of mass. Galaxies may contain many star systems, star clusters, and various interstellar clouds.
The Sun is one of the stars in the Milky Way galaxy; the Solar System includes the Earth and all the other objects that orbit the Sun.
Puts it in perspective doesn't it... kinda lets us know how really inconsequential in the scheme of things we are.
New 3-D map of the universe revealed | MNN - Mother Nature Network
