The Universe Visual Vocabulary

Learning Objectives SC.912.E.5.1: Cite evidence used to develop and verify the scientific theory of the Big Bang (also known as the Big Bang Theory) of the origin of the universe SC.912.E.5.2: Identify patterns in the organization and distribution of matter in the universe and the forces that determine them

Big Bang Theory The universe began as very hot, small, and dense, with no stars, atoms, form, or structure (called a "singularity") 14 billion years ago space expanded very quickly (thus the name "Big Bang"), resulting in the formation of atoms, which eventually led to the creation of stars and galaxies

Universe Is commonly defined as everything that exists It includes all kinds of physical matter and energy, the planets, stars, galaxies, and all the contents of space.

Red Shift How astronomers tell the distance of any object that is very far away in the Universe.

Cosmic Radiation Also known as Cosmic Microwave Background This is when radiation fills the universe and can be detected in every direction Created shortly after the Big Bang, it is the earliest radiation that can be detected

Light Year It’s the distance light travels in one year.

Galaxy A collection of stars, gas, and dust bound together by gravity The smallest galaxies may contain only a few hundred thousand stars, while the largest galaxies have thousands of billions of stars.

Local Group The Milky Way is just one galaxy It is located in a vast cluster of galaxies known as the Local Group This group contains more than 50 galaxies (mostly dwarf galaxies) The total size of the Local Group is 10 million light-years across, and it’s estimated to have a mass of 1.29 billion solar masses

Galaxy Clusters Consists of anywhere from hundreds to thousands of galaxies that are bound together by gravity

Super Clusters A group of neighboring clusters of galaxies or local galaxies They are among the largest known structures in the cosmos

Galactic Cannibalism The collision of two galaxies and the parts of one galaxy is absorbed into the other galaxy

Super Massive Black Holes Largest type of black hole It has hundreds of thousands to billions of solar bodies It is found in the center of almost all currently known massive galaxies

Quasars A massive and extremely remote celestial object It emits very large amounts of energy It has a star-like image in a telescope Quasars may contain massive black holes and may represent a stage in the evolution of some galaxies

Nebula A nebula is a cloud of gas and dust in space Some nebulae (more than one nebula) are regions where new stars are being formed Others are the remains of dead or dying stars

Star Clusters A group of stars that share a common origin and are gravitationally bound for some length of time

Milky Way Galaxy The galaxy that contains our Solar System Its name "milky" is derived from its appearance as a dim glowing band arching across the night sky whose individual stars cannot be distinguished by the naked eye