The Cosmic Distance Scale

This resource gives an impression of how immense our Universe is by starting with an image of the Earth and then zooming out to the furthest visible reaches of the Universe. Its goal is to show astronomical distances without scientific notation. Instead, it focuses on the large number of zeros that are in astronomical distances when we measure them with a familiar unit like the kilometer. The number of zeros increases with each zoom, though not at a constant rate. The progression is from Earth to Solar System, to nearest star system, to the solar neighborhood, to our galaxy, to the next galaxy, and so on, to the farthest visible reaches of space. At each stop, the student can click for more information and learn about the image, about the distance, how the distance is calculated and why it is important, and the travel time to get there. Other stops include local groups of galaxies, local super-clusters, nearest super-clusters, and sheets and voids, including the Great Wall and the Perseus-Pisces Chain. Educational levels: High school, Middle school, Undergraduate lower division