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Mobile App Chapter 1: Problem 1
Rank the following in order of increasing size. a. Local Group b. Milky Way c. Solar System d. universe e. Sun f. Earth g. Laniakea Supercluster h. Virgo Supercluster
Short Answer
Expert verified
Earth, Sun, Solar System, Milky Way, Local Group, Virgo Supercluster, Laniakea Supercluster, universe.
Step by step solution
01
Understand the Given Objects
The exercise lists various astronomical structures. You need to rank these from smallest to largest.
02
Identify the Smallest
Start with the smallest object. Earth's size is the smallest among the given options.
03
Rank the Next Smallest
The next smallest object after Earth is the Sun. Although larger than Earth, it is still significantly smaller compared to the other listed structures.
04
Determine the Smaller Structures
Next, we consider the Solar System, which includes the Sun and all its orbiting objects. It is larger than the Sun but smaller than the Milky Way.
05
Compare Galactic Structures
The Milky Way is a galaxy, containing the Solar System and countless other stars. It is larger than the Solar System.
06
Identify Local Group
The Local Group is a galaxy group that includes the Milky Way. It is larger than the Milky Way.
07
Assess the Size of Superclusters
The Virgo Supercluster contains the Local Group and many other galaxy groups. It is larger than the Local Group.
08
Consider the Laniakea Supercluster
The Laniakea Supercluster includes the Virgo Supercluster and is therefore larger.
09
Rank the Universe
The largest structure is the universe, which contains all the above structures.
10
Compile the Final Order
Now, compile the list in ascending order from smallest to largest: Earth, Sun, Solar System, Milky Way, Local Group, Virgo Supercluster, Laniakea Supercluster, and universe.
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Earth
The Earth is our home planet, the third one from the Sun in our Solar System. It is around 12,742 kilometers in diameter and is the largest of the inner rocky planets. The Earth's atmosphere supports life, providing oxygen, water, and suitable temperatures for various ecosystems. When ranking in terms of astronomical structure sizes, the Earth is the smallest among the listed objects.
Sun
The Sun is a star at the center of our Solar System. It is a nearly perfect sphere of hot plasma with a diameter of about 1.39 million kilometers, making it much larger than the Earth. The Sun's gravitational pull keeps the Solar System's planets, including Earth, in orbit. It provides the essential energy required for life on Earth through light and heat.
Solar System
Our Solar System consists of the Sun and all the objects that are bound by its gravity—including eight planets (like Earth), moons, dwarf planets, comets, and asteroids. The entire Solar System spans roughly 287.46 billion kilometers. It is a tiny part of the Milky Way galaxy, highlighting how expansive larger structures are when compared to our own system.
Milky Way
The Milky Way is our home galaxy, a vast spiral galaxy that contains up to 400 billion stars, including our Sun. It measures about 100,000 light-years in diameter. If you imagine looking at the night sky, many of the stars you see belong to the Milky Way. Our Solar System is located in one of the Milky Way’s outer spiral arms, known as the Orion Arm.
Local Group
The Local Group is a collection of more than 54 galaxies, with the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy being the most massive members. The Local Group stretches across about 10 million light-years. It's a part of an even larger structure, the Virgo Supercluster. Understanding the Local Group helps us see how galaxies are denser in some regions of the universe.
Virgo Supercluster
The Virgo Supercluster is a massive grouping of galaxy clusters, including the Local Group. It spans approximately 110 million light-years and contains at least 100 galaxy groups and clusters. The Virgo Cluster, its core, is about 55 million light-years from Earth. This vast structure gives us insight into the large-scale organization of galaxies in the cosmos.
Laniakea Supercluster
The Laniakea Supercluster is an even larger cosmic structure that includes the Virgo Supercluster. Covering over 520 million light-years, Laniakea comprises about 100,000 galaxies. It represents one of the largest known structures in the universe and is a critical part of mapping out our universe’s vast architecture.
Universe
The universe is the all-encompassing structure that includes everything—planets, solar systems, galaxies, galaxy clusters, and superclusters. It has a diameter of about 93 billion light-years and continues to expand. The universe contains every structure we've discussed, highlighting the immense scale of the cosmos and our relatively tiny place within it.
