I did an astronomy course, gave me a great insight into how big the universe really is.

MWid wrote: I did an astronomy course, gave me a great insight into how big the universe really is.

i know right, nearest star, alpha centauri, 40 lightyears away 0-0

But seriously 40 light years is still like a half a mm compared to the rest of the universe. Insaine

And it is not true. The star nearest to us is what is commonly know as the sun, and this star is only 8.2 light-minutes away. Not a good start if you think you can have a phylosophical discussion on astro-physics.

leatherback wrote: And it is not true. The star nearest to us is what is commonly know as the sun, and this star is only 8.2 light-minutes away. Not a good start if you think you can have a phylosophical discussion on astro-physics.

which one?
i said it wrong, i ment 4 lightyears(dylexia) and it is proxima centauri, part of the alpha centauri(constellation).

also, a nice thingy i found on the internet is this: htwins.net
and then click: scale of the universe 2

And it is not true. The star nearest to us is what is commonly know as the sun, and this star is only 8.2 light-minutes away. Not a good start if you think you can have a phylosophical discussion on astro-physics.

really jelle we are not scolars on the subject but do you have to get critical over the sun is a star thing ...i may just have opened a pool and not want to swim

anyway just a cool referance i heard before: if you counted all of the grains of sand on earth it would egual 1% of the stars in the universe.now that is mind boggling

Just wante dto deflate some of the overinflated ego trying to solve the way the universe works. Having a kid proclaim he understands astrophysics because he watches TV is just about the limit of BS I can take. So if then a point is being made claiming to have this knowledge which is just plain wrong, well.. Can't help myself.

In any case.. The 1% I think is a little behind current knowledge. I think it is more in the order of 0,3% nowadays. And what is really mind boggling.. If you take a sip of water, you are drinking more water molecules than there are stars..

i am sorry, i also read quite a lot of wikipedia pages about for instance, the sloan great wall and the eridanis supervoid.

i was just trying to say i know more than the average teenage boy(looking at the boys at school)

To me the most interesting thing I remember learning was quasars, the most luminous object in the universe. Its a beam of light emitted from black holes, often at the center of newly forming galaxies.

MWid wrote: To me the most interesting thing I remember learning was quasars, the most luminous object in the universe. Its a beam of light emitted from black holes, often at the center of newly forming galaxies.

Fortunately I am not a specialist. But I'd swear that light cannot be emitted from a black hole. Black holes are black because light cannot escape from them. But then again; Appearently I am too critical when reading these things. Guess that comes from being an academic.