3.3.a The Solar System's Address

The Solar System

Our stellar neighborhood

3.3.a Solar System's Universal Address

• As with your postal address, the Earth's Address starts with specific location and expands to larger and larger locations.

• The order of a planet's universal address: planet -> star system -> galaxy -> group -> supercluster(s) -> universe

• Earth's universal address: Earth -> Solar System -> Orion Arm -> Milky Way Galaxy -> Local Group -> Virgo Supercluster -> Laniakea Supercluster -> Universe

• Note: The order is smallest to largest

Fill in the Blanks

Which is bigger: A galaxy or a star system?

Fill in the Blanks

Which is bigger: A galaxy or a supercluster?

Fill in the Blanks

Which is bigger: A star system or a supercluster?

Fill in the Blanks

Which is bigger: a group or a universe?

Multiple Choice

Galaxies that are clumped together in the universe are organized into ___.

• groups

• planets

• star systems

• superclusters

Multiple Choice

What is the name of our galaxy?

• the Andromeda galaxy

• the Milky Way galaxy

• the Snickers galaxy

• the Whirlpool galaxy

Multiple Choice

What is the Solar System's full address (in proper order from small to larger)?

• Solar System, Orion Arm of the Milky Way, Local group, Virgo Supercluster, Laniakea Supercluster, Universe

• Solar System, Milky Way, Orion Arm, Local Group, Laniakea Supercluster, Virgo Supercluster, Universe

• Universe, Milky Way, Laniakea Supercluster, Local Group, Virgo Supercluster, Solar System

• Universe, Orion Arm, Milky Way, Local Group, Virgo Supercluster, Laniakea Supercluster, Solar System

Measuring Distance with Units of Light Time

• Light can travel immense distances quickly. As a result, we use "light time" to measure large distances in space.

• Each light time unit is defined by the distance light can travel during that period of time.

• The order of light time units from smallest to biggest are: light-seconds, light-minutes, light-hours, light-days, and light-years.

Light time unit distances (approx. miles)

• 1 Light-second = 186,000 mi

• 1 Light-minutes = 11,160,000 mi

• 1 Light-hour = 671,000,000 mi

• 1 Light-day = 16,100,000,000 mi

• 1 Light-year = 5,800,000,000,000 mi

Profile image of our galaxy (the Milky Way). It is approx. 100,000 LY across!!!

Multiple Choice

What are light time units used to measure in space?

• Brightness of light

• Distance

• Time

• Velocity

Multiple Choice

The Milky Way is ____ wide (diameter).

• 100 light-hours

• 1,000,000,000,000 light seconds

• 1,000 light-days

• 100,000 light-years

Multiple Choice

What kind of light time unit would be used to measure the distance between the Earth and Moon?

• light-seconds

• light-minutes

• light-days

• light-years

Multiple Choice

What kind of light time unit would be used to measure the distance between the Sun and nearest star?

• light-seconds

• light-minutes

• light-hours

• light-years

Multiple Choice

What kind of light time unit would be used to measure the distance between the Sun and Earth?

• light-seconds

• light-minutes

• light-hours

• light-days

Multiple Choice

What kind of light time unit would be used to measure the distance between the Sun and Neptune?

• light-minutes

• light-hours

• light-days

• light-years