Our Galaxy...

[Corno Dolce]

How fascinating...Our Galaxy, from the center to the outer edge is in the neighborhood of 80,000 light-years in distance:

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

You should be able to move your cursor over the image for to reveal the distances and other info without clicking on it.

[methodistgirl]

What a beautiful galaxy! Isn't God good to us to have our solar
system in this Milky Way galaxy in the picture? Corno Check out
my thread on Astronomy. The picture is breathtaking!
judy tooley

[Contratrombone64]

God had nothing to do with it. Corno - thanks - but 80 squillion light years does my head in when I think aobut it.

[methodistgirl]

Someone had to create this universe with a bang! I give him the
credit and mankind is made of star stuff.
judy tooley

[marval]

Thank you CD

I now realise I am just a little dot, in a vast universe. Mind you MIMF does that too.


Margaret

[methodistgirl]

Your picture showed a beautiful rainbow this time. The sky can
be pretty amazing.
judy tooley

[Contratrombone64]

A little dot? Hmmm, in comparison to planet earth we're a little dot, in fact so small as to not appear after about 3000 feet up ... so at 80 squillion light years away we're so small as to be impossible ... for my brain at least.

[methodistgirl]

That was so funny!
judy tooley

[methodistgirl]

Of all of the pictures of Earth and the rest of the planets. They all
sing their own song. The Earth has her own voice which sounds very
strange while Jupiter has a heavenly sound. There is this recording
of Earth by NASA. I want you to tell me what you think.YouTube - How Earth Sounds from Space
judy tooley

[Corno Dolce]

Well Ms. Judy,

It was not so long ago that SETI researchers projected some radio frequencies from earth in order to find out if they would get an answer from some other *civilization* - Seven years later we're still waiting.................................

[greatcyber]

We ARE all part of the cosmos...tiny dots and all. As for SETI, most likely any intelligent life forms sooooooooo far away from us would have much advanced technology. Maybe they don't use radio waves. Maybe SETI just needs to change the channel.

Let's wait and see what happens when we start to use light to communicate. Hmmmm.

[Corno Dolce]

Hi greatcyber,

We've already been there and already done that - The U.S. Air Force did many such experiments using chemical lasers powerful enough to cut holes in diamonds and just about anything else found on earth or man-made about 25 years ago - Besides, radio-waves and light travel at the same speed in the vacuum of space @ 300,000 km/sec = 1,080,000,000 km/hr.

Humbly yours,

CD

[greatcyber]

maybe a star gate, then?

[Corno Dolce]

Hi greatcyber,

Its a great thought but we have still have to solve the physics problems involved with stargates. Apropos long-distance travel, the best way to conserve fuel and travel long distances in inter-galactic space is to unfurl solar sails. Just like the seafarers of yore who stretched out sails for to navigate the world's oceans, solar sails are the best promise yet to travel long distances in the Universe - More info on solar sails:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_sail

Cheers,

CD

[methodistgirl]

Maybe the intelligence is we are looking for doesn't read signals. It takes
prayer for an answer. Remember this is also God's domain. Heaven. I don't
think all UFO's are bad either. There are such things as angels and demons.
judy tooley