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0042 – stars

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This is one of those facts I just can’t get my mind around no matter how much I think about it. Not only is the universe really really big, but atoms are really really tiny. Not to mention the fact that atoms are massive when compared to subatomic particles like neutrinos.

Fun Fact: A single speck of dust is halfway in size between a neutrino and the entire solar system… think about that for a second.

Also anyone who hasn’t tried the Scale of the Universe flash game, I seriously recommend you check it out right now. It will hurt your brain. In a good way.

0036 – golden star

0036 – golden star published on 1 Comment on 0036 – golden star

Harsh.

But seriously, I understand people’s natural desire to assign some romantic meaning to stars (or planets), like making them represent a story, a person, the future, or whatever; but what could possibly be more romantic than being a 2 Octillion tonne thermonuclear plasma bomb? Or a backwards-spinning greenhouse volcano world which crushes spaceships?

0035 – betelgeuse

0035 – betelgeuse published on 1 Comment on 0035 – betelgeuse

Okay, so I did a bit of research for this one and basically Betelgeuse is too far away to effect Earth when it goes kablooie unless it emits a gamma ray burst (basically a short, dramatic flash of death possibly coming from the star’s poles – a bit like when big things explode in Star Wars, only a million times worse). However Betelgeuse probably isn’t the right kind of star to produce a gamma ray burst; and even if it did, in the star’s current inclination it would miss the Earth.

So yeah, it’s really really unlikely, so stop worrying about it. Seriously, stop worrying.

0034 – orion

0034 – orion published on 1 Comment on 0034 – orion

If you know any constellations you probably already knew about this one. Orion is by far the easiest constellation to find, and is also good at pointing at things. (which we’ll get to later).

By the way, if you’re wondering why Sedna’s hand is coming from the top of the first panel, it’s because she lives in the Southern Hemisphere – which, as everyone knows, is the part of the Earth where everything is the right way up. However, since you Northern Hemisphere people are so used to seeing them wrong, I’ve flipped the constellations upside down for you. You’re welcome. :P