Great site for astronomically challenged.Basic stuff you've wanted to know but were afraid to ask.

[snagglepuss]

How far? How big ? How many ?



http://www.hartrao.ac.za/other/howfar/howfar.html

[indepat]

1. It's hard to get one's mind wrapped around the vastness of the Milky Way, much less the

entire universe. All these extra-terrestrial visitors must travel incomprehensible distances just to visit this earth and the earthlings, seemingly so staggeringly inconsequential in the big scheme of things. ;)

[jberryhill]

2. They are endlessly amused with anally probing rural folks, though

Frankly, I don't see how they manage to travel 5 miles, let alone 5 million light years, just to do that.

[snagglepuss]

3. I read there that there may be 500 billion galaxies. How do astronomers deal

with such large numbers and not get boggled. I don't think that the phenomena of life would be considered inconsequential anywhere in the universe. If there is advanced life somewhere else I doubt they would ever find Earth. Back in the 90s I heard a radio interview with 2 scientists who spoke at length about why they thought it unlikely their would be life anywhere given the number of random occurances that was responsible for creating life on Earth.

[indepat]

4. Imagine 500 billion galaxies and the unlikelihood of life anywhere else. Consider the earth is some

4.5 billion years old and how many billion years it took before it was possible for man to evolve. Consider that in some 200 years, man will have used up most of the earth's fossil fuels that were eons in the making, and how man is rapidly polluting our environment through ignorance, greed, and war-making (using materials like DU) just as if the earth will alway support life for untold billions of humans, no matter what damage man does to the environment. Considering that countless people deny climate change, not withstanding the mounting scientific evidence to the contrary, the probability that man will survive for a considerable period in geologic time would seem problematic, but hopefully man will soon begin to realize how fragile our heavenly planet is begin to act in a responsible manner globally. :patriot:

[snagglepuss]

5. Hear. Hear.

:applause: