ClassX Video Lessons Planet Earth is TINY Compared To The Universe! | The Scale Of The Universe Song
Have you ever thought about how tiny we are compared to the whole universe? Space is so big that it’s hard to imagine, but we can start to understand it by looking at a small part of it.
The Hubble Space Telescope took a picture of a tiny spot in the night sky, about the size of a grain of rice. It took 150 hours to capture this image! In this little area, scientists found over 3,000 galaxies. This discovery shows just how small Earth is in the universe because these galaxies are in a space that is only one two-millionth of the entire sky.
Let’s compare some sizes to understand better. Earth is about 12,742 kilometers wide. The Sun is much bigger, with a diameter of about 1.4 million kilometers, which makes it about 110 times larger than Earth. Our galaxy, the Milky Way, has between 100 to 400 billion stars, including our Sun.
Scientists wanted to see even more, so they adjusted the Hubble telescope and took another long picture over four months. This new image is called the Extreme Deep Field (XDF), and it showed around 10,000 galaxies! By combining ten years of photos, the XDF revealed galaxies so far away that we can’t see them with our eyes.
Exploring the universe helps us realize how small we are compared to everything else out there. When we look at the night sky, we can think about the countless galaxies and stars beyond our own, reminding us of the incredible size of the universe we live in.
Galaxy in a Jar: Create your own galaxy in a jar using simple materials. You’ll need a clear jar, cotton balls, glitter, and food coloring. Layer the cotton balls inside the jar, adding a few drops of food coloring and a sprinkle of glitter between each layer. As you build your galaxy, think about how each layer represents different parts of the universe. Discuss with a friend or family member how this small jar can help us imagine the vastness of space.
Scale Model of the Solar System: Use everyday objects to create a scale model of the solar system. For example, use a basketball to represent the Sun and smaller balls or fruits for the planets. Arrange them in a line to show their order from the Sun. Measure the distances between each object to understand the relative distances in space. Discuss how this model helps you visualize the size differences and distances in our solar system.
Thought-Provoking Question: Imagine you are an astronaut traveling to one of the galaxies in the Hubble Space Telescope’s Deep Field Image. Write a short story or draw a picture about what you might see and experience on your journey. How does thinking about traveling to another galaxy change your perspective on Earth and our place in the universe?
