There are approximately 200 to 400 billion stars in our galaxy. Only in the last few years have scientists been able to see planets "tugging" on their star. This is the only way other planets have been discovered as they typically don't have luminance that someone could see 200 million light years away. Also, the planets that are large enough to tug on their star are planets like Jupiter which have the mass of about 318 earths. In my mind, I'd say that the chances of pretty sky-high that there is another rocky, watery planet like ours somewhere where people hang out at the ocean, and go sightseeing, and eat burgers and fries and maybe even catch a sports game now and again. Or at least their version of all that stuff.
Other interesting factoids about space:
Astronomers estimate that there are 100 billion galaxies in the observable universe. (Could even be more than that!)
The sun is 35,000 light years away from the galactic bulge at the center of our galaxy, the Milky Way.
We are on the Orion arm of our spiral galaxy.
The sun's revolution around the galaxy, or a galactic year is approximately 225 million years. That means our sun has only orbited the galaxy 20-25 times in its lifetime. Humans have been on earth for about 100,000 years or so or about .0004 galactic years. I know I'm a nerd, but this is really cool stuff to me.
4 comments:
No doubt their are other planets just like ours. We know that not just based on scientific evidence, but also based on LDS doctrine. One example in scripture is Moses 1:33, "And worlds without number have I created..."
It kind of blows my mind to think about it. My mind just can't comprehend the expanse of space and all it contains. Our world is such a puny part of it all.
Aliens? Really? With wacky coneheads and bug eyes? Sorry, I don't dig the alien idea. But people eating burgers and fries somewhere else? That I'm more ok with.
Don't forget the "angelic propulsion." For some reason our Astronomy class at Weber popped in my mind a few weeks back. "It was brought to my attention that some people in this class are being disturbed by other people talking..."
Where is my comment?!
I had mentioned that I studied evolution a bit at the Y and while I believe that there are precursors to homo sapiens that have existed for hundreds of thousands of years, I believe Adam was the first "man". Reconciling science and religion in my own mind. :) Astronomy is pretty mind blowing if you ask me.
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