Examining the True Scale of the Milky Way

Epic Spaceman created a beautifully ethereal video explaining the true scale of the Milky Way, the massive galaxy that holds our solar system. To do this, he shrunk the hazy cluster down to such smaller perspectives as the diameter of the United States, the ridges on a fingertip, and a single electron.

This is a journey into the scale of the galaxy we live in, the Milky Way, our home in the vast cosmos we call the Universe. …this crazy, giant whirlpool of stars that’s our home. And I remember being blown away learning that the cloudy line in the sky was something we’re actually inside, something that really confused me at first. So this video is really my attempt to bring a little more appreciation and clarity to our oasis in the Universe.

Lockerbie also wanted to stave off the overwhelming feeling of worthlessness that can come with examining the universe.

Now I know the Milky Way alone  is so much to take in. It’s natural that it can all seem overwhelming. It can also make us feel a little small and insignificant. And we are a little small but we are also special. Humans are incredibly complex life. We are the first beings we know of with a curiosity and ability to find truth and wonder that makes you just as important as a galaxy. And in the words of one of my favorite wonders of the universe, Carl Sagan, “we are a way for the universe to know itself”.