How fragile we are ... and how beautiful it all is

Truly wondrous and unimaginably large. Thanks Grannyknot it does make you wonder just what could be out there doesn't it?

Great pics. gk.

Nothing like a bit of perspective to re-enforce the insignificance of one's life in the vastness of space.

Just curious - why post on the R & S thread?

Perhaps we need a Natural Sciences forum.

It does make you realise that the Christmas shopping isn't really that important!

So we won't be finding life on another planet any day soon, then?

Still doesn't alter my opinion on playing xmas music too soon, though...

If you believe that God made the universe, I suppose it's logical to put it on the R&S board?

Spirituality can mean "awe and wonder" without a religious connection. If something lifts your spirits out of the ordinary - perhaps music, a beautiful view or achieving a goal- then you are experiencing a spiritual moment. This is something we all need.
(In my humble opinion.)

That is very true.

Thank you for this link, Grannyknot. Amazing!

ffinochio I momentarily forgot there was a Science section .

Me posting it on here was instinctive, so rockgran, you are spot on.

Awe and wonder, yes. Well said, rockgran.

I find it patronising. Most people know the facts of the universe. Even the kids with all the cardboard displays of the planets and stars now available.

Totally rolled off me.

I'm not a great fan of spending money on space travel but I thought these photos and illustrations were quite mind boggling. I'm obviously not that well educated because I didn't know all the facts displayed, so they were useful to me at least.

We know sky is blue and grass is green but some can see the beauty in it.

Great link.

I see the beauty of it when I look up into the night sky. Somewhere dark. In the countryside. Pics on the net don't cut it for me.

X

Absolutely jingl !

But knowing that the distances are immense, and it is not just an inverted bowl with the stars pinned onto the inside of it, does make the beauty even more intense. And makes our tenancy of this blue/green sphere even more fragile and unlikely.

Fragile, unlikely but actual, and very insignificant on the big scale, that's us. I love that kind of perspective .

I like the dark, starry sky as well as pics on the web. Nice to have both.

Some people say that knowing the nuts and bolts takes away from the mystic beauty. I have to disagree. Knowing even a little about how intricately something works, or about the complicated mathematics and unlikely coincidences which have made it as it is, just increases the wonder of anything existing at all.

I agree, elegran. The more I know the more awesome it all seems.

It all makes our little Solar System seem quite homely. There must be something 'out there' but will we ever know? Only if something or someone set out thousands or millions of years ago to look for us, maybe evolving through the aeons, as they travelled in their space craft...

GrannyKnot

I found the pictures fascinating.

I am not really interested in space and the universe, lack of education maybe.

It made me think, some would say 'well there's a first'. .

Well it taught me the difference between the Universe, a Solar System and a Galaxy for a start, who knew? I realised how ignorant I am of space and all it entails.. who knew that our moon is bigger than Pluto? not me! I read with great interest and wonder how its possible that the night sky and stars that we can actually see are such an infinitesimal part of it all..

Found it fascinating and its prompted me to find out more..

It is all intriguing stuff and puts our world/lives into perspective.

But it would be good if we could find the energy to put this little world into order - would the efforts that go on space study be better spent on getting the here and now right? Might all the knowledge of space one day help to achieve that?