Have you ever looked up at the stars on a clear night and wondered how big the universe is? You’re not alone. Scientists have been trying to measure the size of the universe for centuries. And while the exact size is still a mystery, we have a pretty good idea about the size of the observable universe - the part of the universe we can see from Earth. So, let’s embark on an exciting journey to understand the staggering size of the observable universe and how it compares to other objects we’re familiar with.
You might have heard that the universe is infinite, but when we talk about its size, we usually refer to the observable universe. That’s because, even though the universe might be infinite, there’s only a certain amount we can see from Earth. So, how big is the observable universe? Well, it’s about 93 billion light-years in diameter. To give you an idea of what that means, a light-year is the distance light travels in one year, and light travels at a speed of 186,282 miles per second. That’s like going around the Earth 7.5 times in just one second!
To better understand the size of the universe, let’s make a few comparisons:
The size of the universe is beyond human comprehension. It’s so vast that we can only observe a tiny fraction of it from Earth. And even that observable universe is filled with hundreds of billions of galaxies, each containing billions of stars. It’s a testament to the power of nature and the wonder of scientific discovery. The next time you look up at the night sky, remember that you’re looking into an immense universe that extends far beyond what the eye can see.