Posted on 10/15/2016 2:43:17 PM PDT by LibWhacker
A new study from a team of international astronomers, led by astrophysicists from the University of Nottingham with support from the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), has produced some astounding results: The universe contains at least two trillion galaxies, 10 times more than the highest previous estimates. What's more, the new study suggests that 90 percent of all galaxies are hidden from us, and only the remaining 10 percent can be seen at all, even with our most powerful telescopes. The paper detailing the study was published today in the Astrophysical Journal.
"We are missing the vast majority of galaxies because they are very faint and far away," said Nottingham Astrophysics Professor Christopher Conselice in an RAS press release. "The number of galaxies in the universe is a fundamental question in astronomy, and it boggles the mind that over 90 percent of the galaxies in the cosmos have yet to be studied. Who knows what interesting properties we will find when we study these galaxies with the next generation of telescopes?"
For two decades, astronomers have used the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Deep Field images to try to estimate the number of galaxies in the observable universe. The previous estimate was 100 to 200 billion, and now we believe that huge number was too small by a factor of 10 or 20, depending on where your original estimate falls.
It is no easy task to count the galaxies in the entire universe. For one thing, as previously mentioned, we cannot see the vast majority of galaxies with our telescopes because they are too far or too faint or both. For another, the farther away we peer with the HST, the smaller the area of the sky we are observing is—Hubble Deep Field images cover about one millionth of the total area of the sky. This animation shows just how small an area a Deep Field image covers.
The results in the new study are the culmination of 15 years of work. An initial grant from the RAS allowed undergraduate student Aaron Wilkinson, now a phD student at Nottingham University, to perform initial galaxy-counting analysis work that laid the foundation for the larger study.
Professor Conselice, in partnerships with researchers at the University of Edinburgh and Leiden University in the Netherlands, used Wilkinson's work and data from telescopes around the world, particularly Hubble, to create 3D maps of different parts of the universe. Mathematical analysis of the models using the calculated density of the galaxies and the volume for each mapped region of space allowed the researchers to deduce how many galaxies we are missing in our observations, and in turn, how many there are in total spread across the universe.
In addition to pinning down a total number, the study analyzed the number of galaxies that were present in the distant past compared to the number of galaxies that exist now. By peering 13 billion light-years into the past, shortly after the Big Bang, the researchers found that there were 10 times more galaxies in the ancient universe than there are now (most of which were small, about the size of the satellite galaxies that orbit the Milky Way).
"This is very surprising as we know that, over the 13.7 billion years of cosmic evolution since the Big Bang, galaxies have been growing through star formation and mergers with other galaxies. Finding more galaxies in the past implies that significant evolution must have occurred to reduce their number through extensive merging of systems."
That "significant evolution" is the continuous merging of smaller galaxies into the larger ones we see today, and the new model could help researchers piece together the formation story of the modern universe with greater accuracy than ever before.
The sheer difference in the number of galaxies has far-reaching implications as well. Probabilistic equations that estimate the number of hypothetical alien civilizations, such as the Drake Equation, will need to be modified to account for the dramatic increase in the number of estimated galaxies out there—which makes it even more astronomically unlikely that we are alone among intelligent species.
In the face of such an expansive universe, it is easy to feel both awe and a sense of insignificance here on Earth. It is reminiscent of Carl Sagan's thoughts on the Pale Blue Dot image, a photo taken of Earth by Voyager 1 from a distance of 6 billion kilometers, almost as far as Pluto.
"It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known."
I read recently that an honest scientist said that any other honest scientist should start any discussion with “at our current level of ignorance we believe.....”.
No, you’re the one who is mistaken. The evidence that our existence is extremely improbable is very scientific.
That could change with future evidence, but that’s where it stands today.
No. It does not.
Yahuah made the heavens and the earth. Read the opening verses of the Book of Genesis.
He created a firmament over the earth.
He created the stars and marshaled (arranged) them in that firmament. Read Genesis and Isaiah.
Your perception of the “universe” is a product of centuries of brainwashing, and more recently, propaganda from the likes of NASA and their CGI artists.
No offense to you. Almost everyone has been deceived.
This is your wakeup call.
Your response is almost guaranteed to be that you will hit the snooze button and go back to sleep.
Notice that I am NOT including a sarcasm tag.
Your pathway out is simple.
1) Turn away from the darkness (sin).
2) Follow the son of Yahuah (Yahusha, the Messiah).
3) Accept the gift of eternal life that Yahusha bought for you by laying down his life for you.
Blessings to you and your loved ones.
We have equipment juuust powerful enough for us to determine that it isn’t powerful enough to tell us what we want to know.
I’m going to Hooters for a 20 piece medium wings takeout. Get your own celery at the grocery store, they really hit you on the celery. I will get extra blu cheese though. Wonder if there’s Hooters in other galaxies?
If we build a bigger telescope, we’ll find...more.
And the God of Israel is infinitely bigger than the visible and invisible universe.
We are finite. It’s hard to grasp the concept of infinity.
But ours is still the only one with chocolate.
Don’t forget “safe spaces.”
Georg Cantor made it so much easier for us. If you haven’t already, take just one good math course where Cantor is covered well, and in the end you will understand more about infinity than you ever imagined!
May if that has the 390 or the 428....
Shoot, even with a 352...
And Obama Pajama Boys selling “health insurance” snake oil to idiots.
And Sirius !
The puts it All in perspective,
Thanks.
“...what was His purpose in creating a universe filled with trillions of other galaxies, trillions of light years away from our own if his only intent was to create life on our own planet?”
An intriguing question, for sure. I suggest a few possibilities.
1. To demonstrate the infinitude of his power, wisdom, and wonder.
2. To instill in us an appreciation for his love for us (when we contrast the enormity of creation with our own size. “What is man, that you are mindful of him?”)
3. To be explored and inhabited by mankind- either as an original “purpose” (had man not fallen), or in the future state when he restores creation.
Freegards!
Ok, I accept that there are a lot more galaxies, and a lot of them have a nice model standing in front of them too. But what I really want to know, is how many more GTOs are there. Please don’t tell me that a mistake of creation limited the number of GTOs. I couldn’t TAKE IT!
The 62-65 models had several decent power choices from 390-427
All around 400 bhp or better with nice four on the floor hurst
Still great value cars....especially the 390.
The 427 is premium
I’m partial to dual overhead gams, er, um, cams.
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