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Cosmology
Cosmology

 

Once I became interested in astronomy and the Big Bang [simulated above] I have tried to comprehend the vast distances of the Universe. Terms such as Astronomical Unit, Light Year and Parsec. Below is a table with the distances attributed to those terms. In the following pages with the aid of maps drawn by Richard Powell I will try to show how these terms are relative to each other.

Astronomical Unit The average distance to the Sun = 93,000,000 miles
Light Year The distance light travels in one year = 5,880,000,000,000 miles
Parsec 3.26 Light Years = 19.2 Trillion miles
The closest star to our Sun is Proxima Centauri in the constellation Centaurus. It is 4.3 light years away. It would take an astronaut traveling at 10,000 miles per hour 288,366.6 years just to reach this closest star.

The object of this section is to show, by scale, gradual progression from our place in the Universe, to our neighboring stars, galaxies, galaxy clusters, super clusters and to the limit of man's knowledge of the known Universe.

All maps have the option to go to the next, or to return here. Following them in sequence will give you a better perspective of the grand scale of the Universe. Enjoy your trip.

The Milk Way Galaxy. A 10,000 light year scale model of our home galaxy.

Map 1. A 12.5 light year scale model of the nearest stars.

Map 2. A 20 light year map of stellar systems.

Map 3. A map of 133 visible stars within 50 light years.

Map 4. A map of stars within 250 light years.

Map 5. A map of the Orion Arm covering 2000 light years.

Map 6. A map covering 5000 light years from the Sun.

Map 7. Star clusters and nebulae within 10,000 light years.

Map 8. 50,000 light years from the Sun.

Map 9. The satellite galaxies, 500,000 light years from the Sun.

Map 10. The Local Group, 5 million light years from the Sun.

Map 11. The Virgo Supercluster, 100 million light years from the Sun.

Map 12. The Neighboring Superclusters, 1 Billion light years from the Sun.

Map 13. The Universe, 2 Billion light years from the Sun.

Map 14. The Universe, 15 Billion light years from the Sun.