

This occurs because each eye sees a slightly different view because they are separated by a few inches. Close one eye, then the other and notice how your finger appears to move in relation to the background. The principal of Parallax can easily be demonstrated by holding your finger up at arm's length.

Source: NASA () Comparing Distances in Space DistanceĮarth to the edge of the visible Universe

The Hubble Ultra Deep Field is an image of a small region of space in the constellation Fornax which includes 10,000 galaxies of various ages, sizes, shapes, and colours. We say average because the Earths orbit is elliptical, varying from a maximum (aphelion) to a minimum (perihelion) and back again once a year. The Astronomical Unit is the average distance from Earth to the Sun. Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. In modern astronomy, we often use the Astronomical Unit or the Lightyear. When we realised just how big space was, we needed some new units. Far too many to describe them in terms of miles or kilometres. When we talk about distance in astronomy, we are usually talking very, very large numbers. Using Cepheid Variables to Calculate Distance.Using Distance Modulus to Calculate Distance.How Are Astronomical Distances Measured?.
