Planet Earth and The Universe

When I was in elementary school, a school trip to the Hayden Planetarium in Manhattan changed me forever. For the first time in my young life, I realized the planet earth was not the beginning and end of reality. I learned the Earth is part of something called a Solar System, which is part of a vast, mysterious Universe. What’s a Universe? Wow! That experience blew my mind, while totally changing my perspective of reality. To this day, thanks to the Hubble Telescope and NASA, the rapidly evolving state of knowledge reference our Universe has been stone cold fascinating. But it gets even better because our current perception of reality is about to change big time, starting later this year.

Our world is on the cusp of what could be an array of startling discoveries, which will modify, or radically change our perceptions in a very dramatic manner.  Why am I saying that? Because in late 2021, when the James Webb Space Telescope launches, it will hopefully unlock many of the secrets we could only discuss in abstract or theoretical terms. As amazing as the Hubble Telescope has been, it was just the beginning. I can’t wait until the JWST is revealing the secrets of our existence, which started around 13 billion years ago.

If you think like me, you often ask yourself many questions about the earth and how we fit into that universe I first heard about as a 10-year-old boy. Here are some of the questions I asked and couldn’t answer for many years.

• When was the earth formed? [around 4.5 Billion Years Ago]
• Where did it come from?
• How was it formed?
• What is a Solar System?
• How does the earth fit into the solar system?
• What is a Universe? When and how did the universe come into existence?
• What existed before our universe?
• How large is the Universe?
• What is a Galaxy?
• What is our relationship, not only with our solar system, but our galaxy and the Universe?

Thanks to the Hubble Telescope, we have a much better perspective in terms of where and how we fit into our Galaxy and the Universe. The numbers, distances, and speeds are so incredibly huge, they are mind boggling. In my opinion, humans cannot comprehend the numbers in real terms with which we can identify. Yes, we know the number 100 Billion is incredibly large, but we have no real reference point which gives that concrete meaning.  Can you envision seeing 100 Billion stars or planets? I certainly cannot.

Although the Hubble Telescope brought us incredible discoveries, and answered many of my questions above, the James Webb Space Telescope is 100 times more powerful. Can you believe that? Wow! When it launches in late October of 2021, unlike Hubble, it will orbit our planet outside of the earth’s atmosphere. It will also be much further away, (approximately 1 Million miles) from the planet. In addition, it will utilize Infrared Technology. That means scientists will see so much more than we did via the Hubble Telescope. Therefore, many of the numbers, cited below, will probably change.  The telescope will go back in time approximately 13.5 billion years, to see the formation of the first galaxies after the Big Bang created the Universe.

Before we get started, here is a disclaimer. I am not a scientist. I’m just a regular guy who is fascinated by our rapidly growing knowledge of the Universe. I have no idea how scientists manage to accumulate such a vast wealth of information, and that probably helps explain why I’m not a scientist. But I will do my best to simplify the numbers and concepts, so that anyone (just like me) can derive meaning from them. Let’s get started with an array of questions, and hopefully, relatively decent, easy to understand answers to those questions. Occasionally, I will throw in some of my thoughts.

What is the name of the Galaxy we live in? The Milky Way

How big is the Milky Way? It is so large that humans cannot comprehend its actual size. It is about 100,000 light years across.  Does that mean anything to you? Probably not, so let’s try to put that in perspective with the following questions.

How long would it take to travel the entire length of the Milky Way Galaxy? At 17.3 km/s (the speed of a NASA spaceship), it would take that spaceship around 700,000,000 years to traverse the entire length of the Milky Way. Even if it was possible to travel at the speed of light (many scientists don’t believe this is possible), it would take  a hundred thousand years!

Hopefully you realize our sun is actually a star. What is the name of the closest star to earth? Proxima Centauri

How far away is Proxima Centauri from the Planet Earth? 4.2 light years

Why do we care? Because it’s the closest solar system to earth. Once you realize how far away the nearest solar system is, you should realize, that aliens never visited our planet. Yes, I know there’s a theory, which I do not believe, which states that aliens repeatedly visited the earth and somehow impacted human culture. Another theory is aliens can travel at speeds we cannot imagine, so the numbers I posted below are meaningless. Once again, I believe that kind of mystical thinking is part of our Hollywood imagination.

How long would it take for a rocket ship, traveling at the fastest rate possible, using today’s technology, to make the trip to Proxima Centauri? Here’s an approximate number, around 4,600 years. There are so many variables, such as acceleration, deceleration, mass of the spaceship, friction, etc. But most physicists agree, it would take thousands of years for the journey. If it takes so long to travel here from another solar system, ask yourself this question. Why would anyone want to start that journey, knowing they would die in the early stages of the trip, long before they reached their destination? I can’t speak for you, but I know the answer to that question.

What is the largest star in the Milky Way Galaxy? Pistol Star

The largest known star (in terms of mass and brightness) is called the Pistol Star. It is 100 times larger than the Sun, and 10,000,000 brighter!

How many stars are in the Milky Way Galaxy? Between 100 and 400 Billion stars

How many planets are in the Milky Way Galaxy? The Milky Way contains at least 100 billion planets, probably many more. Our galactic neighborhood may be bustling with other worlds, but a new study estimates that only a small percentage, approximately 300 million of those 100 billion planets, may have the right ingredients for life.

As you can see, the size of our Galaxy is so large, humans cannot comprehend it in any meaningful way. In other words, there is no way to reference those incredible numbers with something we could identify with. Please keep in mind, the Milky Way Galaxy, as incredibly large as it is, with over 100 billion planets, only encompasses a tiny fraction of the Universe. Here are numbers which should blow your mind. Scientists estimate there are at least 100 to 200 BILLION GALAXIES in the Universe. Are you kidding? That number could be even larger, and we’ll learn much more after the James Webb Space Telescope is in service.