# Just how big is space? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 24, 2012, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-big-is-space/616680 "2012-03-24T09:04:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-big-is-space/616680/1 "2012-03-24T09:04:55Z")
Click on this [BBC](http://www.bbc.com/future/bespoke/space_infographic) link to find out. Warning: **Very** Big picture, takes time to load. SFW Have fun! ---
**Author:** ![Michael63129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@Michael63129](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael63129)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-big-is-space/616680/2 "2012-03-24T20:12:29Z")
If you want to go out even further, [this scrollable Flash animation](http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/589217) gives you a much wider perspective of the size of the Universe (and also in the other direction down to the Planck length). ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-big-is-space/616680/3 "2012-03-24T20:17:17Z")
Space is big. You just won’t believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it’s a long way down the road to the chemist’s, but that’s just peanuts to space. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-big-is-space/616680/4 "2012-03-24T21:38:07Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Space is big. You just won’t believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it’s a long way down the road to the chemist’s, but that’s just peanuts to space. The VERY thing I came in here to post! ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-big-is-space/616680/5 "2012-03-24T21:41:48Z")
And of course there’s the [Power of Ten](http://www.powersof10.com/film). ---
**Author:** ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-big-is-space/616680/6 "2012-03-24T21:45:45Z")
[I’m in space!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeKMS62GrTI) (SFW) ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-big-is-space/616680/7 "2012-03-25T18:03:40Z")
Not as big as your mom! Booyah! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-big-is-space/616680/8 "2012-03-25T18:23:55Z")
Everybody lives on a street in a city Or a village or a town for what it’s worth. And they’re all inside a country which is part of a continent That sits upon a planet known as Earth. And the Earth is a ball full of oceans and some mountains Which is out there spinning silently in space. And living on that Earth are the plants and the animals And also the entire human race. It’s a great big universe And we’re all really puny We’re just tiny little specks About the size of Mickey Rooney. It’s big and black and inky And we are small and dinky It’s a big universe and we’re not. And we’re part of a vast interplanetary system Stretching seven hundred billion miles long. With nine planets and a sun; we think the Earth’s the only one That has life on it, although we could be wrong. Across the interstellar voids are a billion asteroids Including meteors and Halley’s Comet too. And there’s over fifty moons floating out there like balloons In a panoramic trillion-mile view. And still it’s all a speck amid a hundred billion stars In a galaxy we call the Milky Way. It’s sixty thousand trillion miles from one end to the other And still that’s just a fraction of the way. 'Cause there’s a hundred billion galaxies that stretch across the sky Filled with constellations, planets, moons and stars. And still the universe extends to a place that never ends Which is maybe just inside a little jar! YW+D : It’s a great big universe And we’re all really puny We’re just tiny little specks About the size of Mickey Rooney. - Though we don’t know how it got here - We’re an important part here - It’s a big universe and it’s ours! - - In the original script, these lines were: YW+D : You might think that you’re essential Try inconsequential It’s a small world after all! ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-big-is-space/616680/9 "2012-03-25T18:41:49Z")
Think the first 15 or so second of this safe for work commercial is another way to answer this. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/JcAp1ogn79g/hqdefault.jpg "BIG BIG BIG Smartcar small Commercial 2011") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcAp1ogn79g) ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-big-is-space/616680/10 "2012-03-25T21:54:25Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > Everybody lives on a street in a city > Or a village or a town for what it’s worth. > And they’re all inside a country which is part of a continent > That sits upon a planet known as Earth. > And the Earth is a ball full of oceans and some mountains > Which is out there spinning silently in space. > And living on that Earth are the plants and the animals > And also the entire human race. > > It’s a great big universe > And we’re all really puny > We’re just tiny little specks > About the size of Mickey Rooney. > It’s big and black and inky > And we are small and dinky > It’s a big universe and we’re not. > > And we’re part of a vast interplanetary system > Stretching seven hundred billion miles long. > With nine planets and a sun; we think the Earth’s the only one > That has life on it, although we could be wrong. > Across the interstellar voids are a billion asteroids > Including meteors and Halley’s Comet too. > And there’s over fifty moons floating out there like balloons > In a panoramic trillion-mile view. > > And still it’s all a speck amid a hundred billion stars > In a galaxy we call the Milky Way. > It’s sixty thousand trillion miles from one end to the other > And still that’s just a fraction of the way. > 'Cause there’s a hundred billion galaxies that stretch across the sky > Filled with constellations, planets, moons and stars. > And still the universe extends to a place that never ends > Which is maybe just inside a little jar! > > YW+D : It’s a great big universe > And we’re all really puny > We’re just tiny little specks > About the size of Mickey Rooney. > > - Though we don’t know how it got here > > - We’re an important part here > > - It’s a big universe and it’s ours! > > - > - In the original script, these lines were: > > YW+D : You might think that you’re essential > Try inconsequential > It’s a small world after all! Goddamnit. There was a flashback I didn’t need to have. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-big-is-space/616680/11 "2012-03-26T03:19:46Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > Everybody lives on a street in a city > Or a village or a town for what it’s worth. > And they’re all inside a country which is part of a continent > That sits upon a planet known as Earth. > And the Earth is a ball full of oceans and some mountains > Which is out there spinning silently in space. > And living on that Earth are the plants and the animals > And also the entire human race. > > It’s a great big universe > And we’re all really puny > We’re just tiny little specks > About the size of Mickey Rooney. > It’s big and black and inky > And we are small and dinky > It’s a big universe and we’re not. > > And we’re part of a vast interplanetary system > Stretching seven hundred billion miles long. > With nine planets and a sun; we think the Earth’s the only one > That has life on it, although we could be wrong. > Across the interstellar voids are a billion asteroids > Including meteors and Halley’s Comet too. > And there’s over fifty moons floating out there like balloons > In a panoramic trillion-mile view. > > And still it’s all a speck amid a hundred billion stars > In a galaxy we call the Milky Way. > It’s sixty thousand trillion miles from one end to the other > And still that’s just a fraction of the way. > 'Cause there’s a hundred billion galaxies that stretch across the sky > Filled with constellations, planets, moons and stars. > And still the universe extends to a place that never ends > Which is maybe just inside a little jar! > > YW+D : It’s a great big universe > And we’re all really puny > We’re just tiny little specks > About the size of Mickey Rooney. > > - Though we don’t know how it got here > > - We’re an important part here > > - It’s a big universe and it’s ours! > > - > - In the original script, these lines were: > > YW+D : You might think that you’re essential > Try inconsequential > It’s a small world after all! Hmm.. Deep.😉 ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-big-is-space/616680/12 "2012-03-26T14:32:22Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > Everybody lives on a street in a city > Or a village or a town for what it’s worth. > And they’re all inside a country which is part of a continent > That sits upon a planet known as Earth. > And the Earth is a ball full of oceans and some mountains > Which is out there spinning silently in space. > And living on that Earth are the plants and the animals > And also the entire human race. > > It’s a great big universe > And we’re all really puny > We’re just tiny little specks > About the size of Mickey Rooney. > It’s big and black and inky > And we are small and dinky > It’s a big universe and we’re not. > > And we’re part of a vast interplanetary system > Stretching seven hundred billion miles long. > With nine planets and a sun; we think the Earth’s the only one > That has life on it, although we could be wrong. > Across the interstellar voids are a billion asteroids > Including meteors and Halley’s Comet too. > And there’s over fifty moons floating out there like balloons > In a panoramic trillion-mile view. > > And still it’s all a speck amid a hundred billion stars > In a galaxy we call the Milky Way. > It’s sixty thousand trillion miles from one end to the other > And still that’s just a fraction of the way. > 'Cause there’s a hundred billion galaxies that stretch across the sky > Filled with constellations, planets, moons and stars. > And still the universe extends to a place that never ends > Which is maybe just inside a little jar! > > YW+D : It’s a great big universe > And we’re all really puny > We’re just tiny little specks > About the size of Mickey Rooney. > > - Though we don’t know how it got here > > - We’re an important part here > > - It’s a big universe and it’s ours! > > - > - In the original script, these lines were: > > YW+D : You might think that you’re essential > Try inconsequential > It’s a small world after all! Just remember that you’re standing on a planet that’s evolving And revolving at nine hundred miles an hour, That’s orbiting at nineteen miles a second, so it’s reckoned, A sun that is the source of all our power. The sun and you and me and all the stars that we can see Are moving at a million miles a day In an outer spiral arm, at forty thousand miles an hour, Of the galaxy we call the ‘Milky Way’. Our galaxy itself contains a hundred billion stars. It’s a hundred thousand light years side to side. It bulges in the middle, sixteen thousand light years thick, But out by us, it’s just three thousand light years wide. We’re thirty thousand light years from galactic central point. We go 'round every two hundred million years, And our galaxy is only one of millions of billions In this amazing and expanding universe. The universe itself keeps on expanding and expanding In all of the directions it can whizz As fast as it can go, at the speed of light, you know, Twelve million miles a minute, and that’s the fastest speed there is. So remember, when you’re feeling very small and insecure, How amazingly unlikely is your birth, And pray that there’s intelligent life somewhere up in space, 'Cause there’s bugger all down here on Earth. ---
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-big-is-space/616680/13 "2012-03-26T14:51:20Z")
It evokes such poetic responses! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![RadicalPi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/radicalpi/32/9806_2.png) [@RadicalPi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RadicalPi)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-big-is-space/616680/14 "2012-03-27T08:58:31Z")
It’s _this_ big: |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-big-is-space/616680/15 "2012-03-27T10:20:28Z")
That’s the _space bar_. Not the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![SunSandSuffering](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@SunSandSuffering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunSandSuffering)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-big-is-space/616680/16 "2012-03-27T13:43:37Z")
Space bar? Is that where I can get a pan-galactic gargle blaster? [The effect of which is like having your brains smashed out by a slice of lemon, wrapped around a large gold brick if I remember correctly…] ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-big-is-space/616680/17 "2012-03-27T16:00:36Z")
> [@Lancia](#): > > Goddamnit. There was a flashback I didn’t need to have. 😛 Aw, c’mon! Everyone needs an Animaniacs flashback! ---
**Author:** ![Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uosdwis_R.Dewoh)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-big-is-space/616680/18 "2012-03-27T18:38:48Z")
That’s the second biggest space I’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-big-is-space/616680/19 "2012-03-27T18:51:37Z")
> [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](#): > > That’s the second biggest space I’ve ever seen. You could almost park two cars in it! ---
**Author:** ![Black\_Train\_Song](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@Black\_Train\_Song](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Black_Train_Song)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-big-is-space/616680/20 "2012-03-27T19:20:05Z")
I think Carl Sagan said it best… [http://www.planetary.org/explore/topics/voyager/pale\_blue\_dot.html](http://www.planetary.org/explore/topics/voyager/pale_blue_dot.html)