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Started by Munch, June 08, 2017, 08:19:58 PM

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Munch

Since I was a kid, I was always fascinated by things being the biggest of their kind, the biggest gemstone, the biggest man made structure, the biggest planet in our solar system, the biggest insect, so on. Back then there wasn't the wellspring of information we have at ease now, but something about looking into the largest structures in the universe always fills me with a sense of awe just thinking about it.



This is earth as roughly compared to the size of the sun, however, taking that into account, it puts the largest discovered star in comparison, VY canis majoris, at a mass thats just beyond belief.



obviously this is based on theory, so not an exact science, but a lot of research goes into determining the quantity of mass times distance when observing stars, so I can believe there are stars to this size out their in the universe.

And then we have examples of the largest recorded galaxy, IC 1101.



theres something so majestic about a galaxy that size when compared to ours, but one to massive it no longer produces new stars, like an aging creature floating along in its twilight years.


'Political correctness is fascism pretending to be manners' - George Carlin

aitm

I thought I read somewhere that nearly our entire galaxy can fit inside of that sun.
A humans desire to live is exceeded only by their willingness to die for another. Even god cannot equal this magnificent sacrifice. No god has the right to judge them.-first tenant of the Panotheust

PopeyesPappy

Quote from: aitm on June 08, 2017, 08:23:57 PM
I thought I read somewhere that nearly our entire galaxy can fit inside of that sun.

Only out to Jupiter.
Save a life. Adopt a Greyhound.

SGOS

It's hard to comprehend that kind of size.

Baruch

Quote from: SGOS on June 09, 2017, 09:32:38 AM
It's hard to comprehend that kind of size.

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy ... "It is big, really big"
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

trdsf

"My faith in the Constitution is whole, it is complete, it is total, and I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction of the Constitution." -- Barbara Jordan

Unbeliever

And then there's Laniakea, our home supercluster - the largest coherent structure in the known universe:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rENyyRwxpHo
God Not Found
"There is a sucker born-again every minute." - C. Spellman

Unbeliever

Also, I heard today on science Friday about a new technique for measuring the mass of single stars - using Einstein's general theory of relativity:

http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/06/astronomers-measure-mass-star-thanks-old-tip-einstein
God Not Found
"There is a sucker born-again every minute." - C. Spellman

Cavebear

Quote from: aitm on June 08, 2017, 08:23:57 PM
I thought I read somewhere that nearly our entire galaxy can fit inside of that sun.

A star that size is almost so vague at the surface it almost doesn't have one.
Atheist born, atheist bred.  And when I die, atheist dead!