Image of the Day: Galaxies Beyond Comprehension (and Seven-Trillion Dwarfs!)

Daily Galaxy ^ | 2/17/11

[Scythian]

All I want is a planet of my own with no liberal or progressives, look at em’ all out there and I’m stuck on this mess, uggh !!

[corkoman]

3x10²² is extremely puny compared to the probabilities needed for life or the laws of nature to turn out just right by itself.

N = the number of civilizations in our galaxy with which communication might be possible; and

R* = the average rate of star formation per year in our galaxy

fp = the fraction of those stars that have planets

ne = the average number of planets that can potentially support life per star that has planets

fℓ = the fraction of the above that actually go on to develop life at some point

fi = the fraction of the above that actually go on to develop intelligent life

fc = the fraction of civilizations that develop a technology that releases detectable signs of their existence into space L = the length of time for which such civilizations release detectable signals into space.[3]

It seems to me the number of galaxies just shot up by...billions AND the number of Goldilocks planets keeps going up - I would think the odds have gone from puny to perhaps "small".

[redhead]

Does this explain the “dark matter” idea the astronomers used to account for the matter in the universe they couldn’t see?

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks raybbr! Rather a lot, really.

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[MNDude]

Well, biology is one thing, but laws of physics is another.

Strong Force is about 10 to the power of 100 times stronger than gravity is. So those are pretty small chances that both gravity and strong force have the exact right strength for the universe to exist.

Then you have to consider for the strength of weak force, electromagnetism, the velocity of the expansion of the universe, and numerous other factors to take into account for the existance of the universe as it is in the first place.

[wxgesr]

How long will it take me to hitch hike across it?

[BlueDragon]

Seven trillion dwarfs?

We're going to need a lot more pipe-weed