The world around us contains so much more than just the plants, animals, and geography that makes up our planet. Earth is just one piece of the universal puzzle. There are other planets, solar systems, galaxies, and more spread so far across the universe that it would take millions of years, traveling at the speed of light, just to get there. The black hole picture we have from the Messier 87 galaxy may be new to us, but in reality, this image is what the M87 black hole looked like over 55 million years ago!
Distances in the universe are so large they are measured in “light-years.” A single photon of light can travel 186,000 miles in a single second. A light-year is the number of miles that a single photon of light can travel in one year, nearly 6 trillion miles! To figure out just how far away that black hole is, you would have to multiply the 6 trillion miles (for a single year) by the 55 million years it would take to travel there. That’s a lot of zeros!
Luckily for us, there are other objects in the universe that are much closer, so close that we can see them without too much effort. Some things we can see with our own eyes. Others require a little help to be seen. Sometimes we look at just the object itself, like the moon, or other planets. Sometimes we look at a cluster of objects, like different stars, and identify them by the patterns they make. These patterns are called constellations. Constellations are often named for common objects, animals, or ancient mythological figures like Orion.
Because everything in the universe is constantly in motion, what we can see changes depending upon our location, what time of day it is, or even what time in the year it is. There are lots of resources to help you find what you are looking for. Some links are posted below. When you are ready, go outside, take a good look around, and see what there is to see!
The Experiment
Supplies: Your eyes.
Optional: A pair of binoculars or a telescope
What to do: Locate, but do not look directly, at an object in the sky that is eight light minutes from the Earth. Then locate an object in the sky that is 1.3 light seconds from the Earth.
What two things did you find?
Links
Visit the Dome Planetarium at the Peoria Riverfront Museum for programs and information about outer space.
To find out what objects will be visible in the night sky tonight visit TimeAndDate.com’s Night Sky Guide.
Sky & Telescope magazine has an interactive sky chart that can help identify constellations.
Explore Astronomy on the American Museum of Natural History’s website.