SCALE OF THE UNIVERSE or JUST ANOTHER WAY TO MAKE YOU FEEL SMALL

INTRODUCTION How big is our universe? People have been wondering about this question since we first looked into the sky and saw the pinpoints of light we call stars.

INTRODUCTION It’s a good question, but its not easily answered. No one knows exactly how large it really is. It could be infinite or it could have an edge, meaning that traveling for long enough in one direction will bring you back to where you started, like traveling on the surface of a sphere. So…..

INTRODUCTION Lets start with what we do know. We have the ability to see farther and with more accuracy then ever before in our history. Our ability to gather information is also getting better and better. This is because our technology is becoming ever more sophisticated. Foe example, the Hubble Space telescope allows us to see the furthest parts of the universe.

INTRODUCTION The Hubble Telescope has allowed us to see back in time almost 13.7 billion years. To the very edge of what we call the big bang.

INTRODUCTION So in that respect we could say that our universe is about 13.7 billion light years wide. But that’s only part of it. The universe should have an edge if its been expanding at the same rate for 13.7 billion years, right? The problem is that some of the objects we see are 40 billion light years away, and there doesn’t seem to be an edge. That tells us that the universe is not expanding at an even rate. It seems to be speeding up. If that’s the case then…

INTRODUCTION 93 billion light years US We can now estimate that the universe is about 93 billion light years in diameter. And even though we don’t set in exactly the middle of it, it turns out that we are pretty close. US

INTRODUCTION So we are 13.7 billion years old, and we take up an area with a diameter of about 93 billion light years. So we’ve established the size of our universe, so we think. But there is another thing we must consider.

INTRODUCTION What shape is our universe?

INTRODUCTION Some scientists believe that our universe is rounded with no corners kind of like a ball or even an oval shape.

INTRODUCTION Some scientists think that the universe is shaped like a balloon or a bubble and that there are many of them, perhaps an infinite amount of them floating around and occasionally bumping into each other.

INTRODUCTION Still another group believes that our universe may be flat like a piece of paper.

INTRODUCTION And there are those who think it is shaped somewhat like a trumpet.

INTRODUCTION A hyperbolic curve.

INTRODUCTION Or like an orange.

INTRODUCTION Or like a toroid.

INTRODUCTION Or like a saddle.

INTRODUCTION Or even a bottle shape.

INTRODUCTION So who is right? Only time and more data will help us figure out this question. What do you think? Discuss.

INTRODUCTION Ok, now what about the structure of the universe? How exactly is it set up? Ok, now what about the structure of the universe? How exactly is it set up?

INTRODUCTION At the largest scale we know of, where we view the entire universe at once we see that it is basically divided into two parts. These are called filaments and voids. Filaments are areas that contain matter and voids are areas that seem to be empty.

INTRODUCTION Next, a great number of groups, clusters and individual galaxies can come together to form the next larger structure – superclusters. Superclusters are among the largest structures ever to be discovered in the universe. The largest supercluster structure we know of is called the Sloan Great Wall. Its about 500 million light years long, 200 million light years wide, and 15 million light years thick.

INTRODUCTION We live in a group called the Virgo supercluster. It’s made up of about 2000 galaxies that are stretched across 15 million light years of space.

INTRODUCTION After superclusters comes clusters. These are areas made up of 50 to 1000 galaxies clustered together. We belong to the Virgo cluster of the Virgo supercluster. The Virgo cluster is about 10 million light years across.

INTRODUCTION Next we come to groups which are usually smaller collections of individual galaxies. Our group is called the local group and is made up of about 50 small to medium sized galaxies. Our local group is about 6 million light years across.

INTRODUCTION Now we are down to just our galaxy which is called the Milky Way Galaxy. Our galaxy is about 100,000 light years across.

INTRODUCTION Next we look at our solar system. The name of our solar system is…. The solar system. That’s it. Nothing very fancy about that. Sorry.

INTRODUCTION And of course we live on planet earth.

INTRODUCTION We are located in the western hemisphere, on the continent of North America, in the USA, in the state of Nevada, in the city of Henderson, at a school called Burkholder MS.

INTRODUCTION Virgo Supercluster Virgo Cluster THE Local Group Milky Way Galaxy The Solar System Planet Earth Therefore our complete Universal address would be:

INTRODUCTION Western Hemisphere North American Continent United States of America State of Nevada City of Henderson 355 W Van Wagenen

INTRODUCTION Burkholder Middle School Room 807, Mr. Thomas’ Room

INTRODUCTION Now, do you feel small?

IN QUESTION What is the mnemonic device (sentence) that you were given to help you remember the order of the planets? My very energetic mother just served us nine pizzas.

NOTES The Universe is: 13.7 billion years old Expanding faster than it should Larger than expected 93 billion light years in diameter

NOTES Possible universe shapes: Oval Balloon or bubble Flat Trumpet hyperbolic curve

NOTES Orange Toroid Saddle bottle

NOTES Universe hierarchy Filaments and voids Super clusters Clusters Groups Galaxies Solar system

NOTES Our Universal Address is: Virgo supercluster Virgo cluster THE Local Group Milky Way galaxy THE Solar System Planet Earth

OUT QUESTION What is our hemisphere, continent, country, state, and city? Western, North America, USA, Nevada, Henderson