This is mind blowing and takes some thinking about as to how insignificant we are on our little world :shock:
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Light Years.
Because the universe is so big, using our usual measurements…. miles, kilometers etc, isn't practical as the numbers are so big.
The measurements we use are based on how long it takes light to cover a certain distance in a certain time.
The moon is at an average distance from us of 239,000 miles, and it takes light roughly 1.3 seconds to cover that distance.
The moon is therefore said to be 1.3 light seconds away from us.
The sun is 93 million miles away, and it takes light roughly 8 minutes to cover this distance, so the sun is said to be 8 light minutes away.
Light from the nearest star to us, Proxima Centauri, takes 4.3 years to get to us.
Proxima Centauri is therefore 4.3 light years away.
One light-year equals 5.88 million million miles.
Light from the nearest galaxy, M31, the Great Spiral in Andromeda, takes 2.5 million years to get here.
The most distant object yet seen, GRB090423 was discovered on 23rd April 2009, and is 13 billion light years away.
The universe is vast beyond comprehension.
.
.
.
Light Years.
Because the universe is so big, using our usual measurements…. miles, kilometers etc, isn't practical as the numbers are so big.
The measurements we use are based on how long it takes light to cover a certain distance in a certain time.
The moon is at an average distance from us of 239,000 miles, and it takes light roughly 1.3 seconds to cover that distance.
The moon is therefore said to be 1.3 light seconds away from us.
The sun is 93 million miles away, and it takes light roughly 8 minutes to cover this distance, so the sun is said to be 8 light minutes away.
Light from the nearest star to us, Proxima Centauri, takes 4.3 years to get to us.
Proxima Centauri is therefore 4.3 light years away.
One light-year equals 5.88 million million miles.
Light from the nearest galaxy, M31, the Great Spiral in Andromeda, takes 2.5 million years to get here.
The most distant object yet seen, GRB090423 was discovered on 23rd April 2009, and is 13 billion light years away.
The universe is vast beyond comprehension.