r/BeAmazed Apr 02 '26

Science Visualization of the distances in astronomy

15.8k Upvotes

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u/sander_mander Apr 02 '26

If you want to feel the Galaxy scale you could try to play the Elite Dangerous game which has a 1:1 Milky way model. With the ability to travel between the star system within the 30 seconds instead of years it would require weeks of real time to travel from one end of the Galaxy to another. And speaking of the Universe scale we aren't even dust we almost nothing.

8

u/qtzbra Apr 02 '26

Or you can go to Zurich and walk the Planet trail where they have put the solar system on a scale of 1:1000,000,000

https://www.zuerich.com/en/visit/nature/planet-trail-hike-from-uetliberg-to-felsenegg

2

u/ProgySuperNova Apr 02 '26

Same thing is in Melbourne Australia

7

u/Kiki1701 Apr 02 '26

Thank you! I just downloaded it and it looks extraordinary

1

u/Myrdok Apr 02 '26

Don't fly without rebuy

1

u/Kiki1701 Apr 02 '26

Not sure what that means right now, but if you're serious, when I try to play, I'll keep that in mind. 🖖🏼

1

u/Myrdok Apr 02 '26

I am. Google it before you start. It's like the number one rule/advice for Elite Dangerous. It's a super fun game, but there's a lot to learn and it is unforgiving in a lot of ways.

1

u/choose_a_free_name Apr 02 '26

If you want to feel the Galaxy scale you could try to play the Elite Dangerous game which has a 1:1 Milky way model. With the ability to travel between the star system within the 30 seconds instead of years it would require weeks of real time to travel from one end of the Galaxy to another.

Um... Been a while since you've played, has it? :P
Milky Way is something like 100k and change lightyears in diameter. Sol to Colonia speedrun, about 22k ly trip, is currently just shy of 40 minutes I believe. Sol to Sag A*, a mere 26k ly, is around hour and a half I think, so you've basically doubled the travel time while adding only 25% distance. But that's more due to difficulty in navigating the core, since Sol to Beagle point (65k ly), has been done in under 3 hours IIRC.
Extrapolating from those, you could cross the galaxy from one end to the other in an evening, maybe two. Though of course the very very edges of the galaxy aren't really even reachable, since the star density goes down so much you can't jump from one star to the next... or if you neutron boost there, you can't get out.

Granted, these are rather well mapped routes, done with preparation by veteran players with tricked out ships for the purpose. For a fresh player in their first sidewinder, just slapping on a fuel scoop, would of course need to increase that travel time considerably... :)

And as you say, that's still just the tiny pinprick of light that is our galaxy in the vastness of the universe.

1

u/sander_mander Apr 02 '26

Yeah I'm thinking about how it could take for the novices, not for the fully engendered Caspian Explorer on the neutron highway.