How big or little are we?

How big or little are we?

This is quite a simple one really and I think very relevant to the holiday season (whether you have any sort of faith or not) and goes something like this.

WE ARE REALLY LITTLE!

So I recently saw on facebook a fantastic scale reference image of the planets of the solar system through to a super giant star (thanks for Abnett for the heads up). I’ve included the image below so you can be amazed and look at it a few times to let it slowly sink in.

When I saw this it started me thinking about significance and whether we actually matter at all. My own personal issues, the way they affect me and those around me, global issues such as the environment, water shortage, population explosion (7 billion now) become insignificant when faced with the realisation that this gigantic planet we live on (7962.3 miles across) is tiny compared to other members of the galactic population.

 

Once you’ve digested this and maybe had a little bit of a brain meltdown ask yourself whether we are significant. The only answer I can come up with is yes, otherwise why bother! We'd just have to sit down and waste away as we ponder the massive (super super super) massiveness of the universe. Or we can carry getting on with our small insignificant lives because lets be fair, they're what actually matter to us because they have an immediate effect on us.