27 Facts That Will Make You Question Your Existence

Summary

This script takes viewers on a cosmic journey, starting from Earth and zooming out to the vastness of the universe. It highlights the Earth-Moon distance, the comparative sizes of planets, and the enormity of the Sun, which dwarfs them all. The script then expands to the scale of the Milky Way and other galaxies like NGC 6744, emphasizing the universe's sheer size and age. It concludes by reminding us of our tiny place in the cosmos, suggesting a broader perspective on life's trivialities.

Takeaways

• 🌍 The Earth is our home within the vast neighborhood of the Solar System.
• 🌕 The distance between Earth and the Moon, at its farthest, is 252,088 miles, a space that could fit all the planets in our Solar System.
• 🌐 Jupiter's Great Red Spot is about two times the size of Earth, showcasing the diversity of celestial bodies.
• 💠 Saturn's rings contain fragments as large as mountains, highlighting the intricate details of planetary systems.
• ☀️ The Sun dwarfs Earth in size comparison, emphasizing the scale of our star within the Solar System.
• 🚀 Earth appears tiny from various perspectives, such as from the Moon, Mars, and beyond Neptune, underscoring our planet's smallness in the cosmic scale.
• 🕒 A billion seconds is a vast amount of time, equivalent to over 31 years, helping to put astronomical distances into a relatable context.
• 🌌 The Milky Way galaxy, with a diameter of about 100,000 light years, is immense, yet our Solar System is just a tiny part of it.
• 🌌🌌 There are galaxies like NGC 6744 that are even larger than the Milky Way, stretching over 200,000 light years across.
• 🌌🌌🌌 The universe contains countless galaxies, each with billions of stars and potentially even more planets, indicating the immensity and complexity of the cosmos.

Q & A

What is the average distance between Earth and the Moon at their farthest points?

The average distance between Earth and the Moon at their farthest points is 252,088 miles.

Can you fit all the planets in our Solar System within the distance between Earth and the Moon?

Yes, within the distance of 252,088 miles between Earth and the Moon, you could fit every planet in our Solar System.

How large is the Great Red Spot on Jupiter compared to Earth?

The Great Red Spot on Jupiter is about two times as large as Earth.

What is the comparison between the width of Saturn and Earth?

Saturn is about nine times wider than Earth.

How large are some fragments within Saturn's rings in comparison to mountains?

Some fragments within Saturn's rings are as large as mountains.

What is the comparison of Earth's size to the Sun?

Earth is significantly smaller than the Sun, as depicted in the script where Earth is shown in comparison to the Sun.

How far is Earth from Neptune when viewed from just beyond Neptune?

Earth is four billion miles away when viewed from just beyond Neptune.

What does Carl Sagan say about the number of stars in the universe compared to grains of sand on Earth's beaches?

Carl Sagan mused that the total number of stars in the universe is larger than all the grains of sand on all the beaches of the planet Earth.

What is the diameter of the biggest star known, VY Canis Majoris, compared to our Sun?

VY Canis Majoris is about 2,000 times the diameter of our Sun.

If the Solar System is shrunk to the size of a quarter, how big would the Milky Way galaxy be on the same scale?

If the Solar System is shrunk to the size of a quarter, the diameter of the Milky Way galaxy would be roughly the size of the United States on the same scale.

What is the diameter of the Milky Way galaxy in miles?

The diameter of the Milky Way galaxy is about 621,371,192,237,333,890 miles.

How does the size of NGC 6744 compare to the Milky Way galaxy?

NGC 6744, a spiral galaxy similar to our own, is twice as wide as the Milky Way, stretching over 200,000 light years across.

What is the significance of the Hubble telescope picture mentioned in the script?

The Hubble telescope picture mentioned in the script shows thousands of galaxies, each containing millions or billions of stars with their own planets, and some objects that may have formed 11 billion years ago.

Outlines

00:00

🌏 Our Home in the Solar System

This paragraph introduces Earth and its place within the Solar System, emphasizing the vast distance between Earth and the moon, which is capable of accommodating all the planets. It highlights the comparative sizes of Jupiter's Great Red Spot and Saturn's rings to Earth, and the immense scale of the Sun. The paragraph also provides a visual perspective of Earth from various celestial bodies and introduces the concept of a billion seconds to give a sense of scale, concluding with a reminder of Earth's smallness in the universe.

Keywords

💡Earth

Earth is the third planet from the Sun in the solar system and the only known planet to support life. In the video, Earth is depicted as a small but significant part of the vast universe, highlighting our home's place within the cosmos. The script uses Earth as a reference point to discuss distances, such as the distance to the Moon and the comparative sizes of other celestial bodies.

💡Solar System

The Solar System consists of the Sun and the objects bound by its gravity, including eight planets, moons, asteroids, and comets. The video script uses the Solar System to illustrate the scale of the universe by comparing the distance between Earth and the Moon to the sizes of other planets and the Sun.

💡Jupiter

Jupiter is the largest planet in our Solar System and is known for its Great Red Spot, a massive storm that has been raging for centuries. The video script mentions the Great Red Spot to emphasize the scale of Jupiter, which is about two times larger than Earth.

💡Saturn

Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and is famous for its extensive ring system. The video script highlights Saturn's size, which is nine times wider than Earth, and the enormity of its rings, some of which contain fragments as large as mountains.

💡Sun

The Sun is the star at the center of our Solar System and provides the energy necessary for life on Earth. The video script compares the size of Earth to the Sun, emphasizing the Sun's vastness and its role as the dominant body in our Solar System.

💡Mars

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and is often considered a potential location for future human exploration. The video script uses Mars as a vantage point to show how small Earth appears from a distance, reinforcing the concept of our planet's relative size in the universe.

💡Neptune

Neptune is the eighth and farthest known planet from the Sun in our Solar System. The video script mentions Neptune to illustrate the extreme distances within our Solar System, showing Earth from beyond Neptune, which is four billion miles away.

💡Light Year

A light year is a unit of distance used in astronomy, equal to the distance that light travels in one year. The video script uses light years to express the vast distances in the universe, such as the diameter of the Milky Way galaxy.

💡Milky Way

The Milky Way is our home galaxy, containing billions of stars, including our Sun. The video script describes the Milky Way's immense size, comparing it to the size of the United States when scaled down to the size of a quarter.

💡Galaxy

A galaxy is a massive, gravitationally bound system consisting of stars, stellar remnants, gas, dust, and dark matter. The video script discusses various galaxies, including the Milky Way and NGC 6744, to demonstrate the scale and diversity of galaxies in the universe.

💡Big Bang

The Big Bang is the prevailing cosmological model that explains the origin of the universe. The video script mentions the Big Bang to provide context for the age of the universe and the time when star-forming periods were at their peak.

Highlights

Earth is depicted as a part of the Solar System, emphasizing our local cosmic neighborhood.

The dramatic distance between Earth and the Moon, which can fit all planets in our Solar System.

Jupiter's Great Red Spot is twice as large as Earth, showcasing the scale of gas giants.

Saturn's size and ring system, with fragments as large as mountains, illustrating the diversity of celestial bodies.

The Sun's immense size compared to Earth, highlighting the importance of our star.

Visual representations of Earth from various celestial bodies, emphasizing our planet's place in the Solar System.

The concept of a billion seconds, providing a new perspective on time and scale.

Carl Sagan's musings on the number of stars exceeding the grains of sand on Earth's beaches.

VY Canis Majoris, the largest known star, being 2,000 times the diameter of our Sun.

The comparison of the Solar System to the Milky Way galaxy, using a quarter as a scale reference.

The Milky Way's vast diameter, expressed in light years and miles.

The realization of our tiny portion within the Milky Way, emphasizing human insignificance in the cosmos.

NGC 6744, a galaxy twice the size of the Milky Way, illustrating the scale of other galaxies.

The Hubble telescope's image of thousands of galaxies, each with billions of stars and planets.

The age of some celestial objects, dating back to 11 billion years after the Big Bang.

The reminder of Earth as our home, amidst the vastness of the universe.

Transcripts

- [Narrator] This is Earth.

(dramatic music)

This is where you live,

and this is where you live in your neighborhood,

the Solar System.

Here's the distance between the Earth

and the moon.

Doesn't look too far, does it?

Think again.

At their farthest points,

the Earth and the moon are 252,088 miles away.

In side that distance, you could fit every planet

in our entire Solar System.

But, let's talk about planets.

The great red spot on Jupiter,

that's about two times as big as Earth,

and Saturn is about nine times wider than Earth.

Saturn's rings are so large

that a few of the fragments within them

are as large as mountains. (intense music)

But, that's nothing compared to our Sun.

Just remember, this is Earth,

and this is Earth from the moon.

This is Earth from Mars.

Here's Earth from just behind Saturn's rings,

and here's Earth from just beyond Neptune,

four billion miles away.

But, a billion's a big number,

so let's put that in perspective.

One million seconds equals about 11 and a half days,

whereas one billion seconds equals over 31 years.

Let's step back a bit.

Here's the size of Earth compared

with the size of our Sun.

Terrifying, right?

And here's that exact same Sun

from the surface of Mars.

As Carl Sagan once mused--

- [Carl] The total number of stars in the universe

is larger than all the grains of sand

on all the beaches of the planet Earth.

- [Narrator] And there are some stars out there

that are much, much bigger than our little, wimpy Sun.

The biggest star we know of, VY Canis Majoris,

is about 2,000 times the diameter of our Sun.

But, none of those compares to the size

of a galaxy.

In fact, if you shrink the size

of our Solar System down to the size of a quarter

and shrink the Milky Way galaxy down using the same scale,

the diameter of the Milky Way

would be roughly the size of the United States.

(dramatic music)

That's because the Milky Way galaxy is huge.

Its diameter's about 100,000 light years wide,

which, when converted to miles,

is about 621,371,192,237,333,890 miles.

Inside of all of that is you.

You live in this tiny, tiny portion of the Milky Way.

But, even still, our galaxy is a little runt compared

with some others.

NGC 6744,

a spiral galaxy similar to our own,

is twice as wide as the Milky Way,

stretching over 200,000 light years across.

It is massive.

But, let's think bigger.

In this picture alone, taken by the Hubble telescope,

there are thousands and thousands of galaxies,

each containing millions or billions of stars

with their own planets.

Some of the objects seen here may have formed

as many as 11 billion years ago,

just three billion years after the Big Bang.

(intense music)

This period of time is considered one

of the busiest star-forming periods.

And just keep this in mind,

that's a picture of a very small,

small part of the universe.

So, if you're ever feeling upset

about your favorite show being canceled

or the fact that they play Christmas music way too early,

just remember, this is your home.

Earth.