What's crazy, the moon is huge in our sky, at about 1/2 degree angular diameter. But the Andromeda galaxy has 7 time larger diameter: 3.5 degrees. If only our eyes were good enough to see it all. All we can see of it naked eye is the center. Wish I could be here 4 billion years from now to see when it and our galaxy collide. But alas, our Sun will have ballooned into a red giant, boiled away all our water, fried every living thing, and maybe even have swallowed the Earth by then. If only I could go another 200 million years to see Betelgeuse's likely supernova. It's about 6 times closer than the Crab Nebula, so its supernova would be 36 times brighter. And when the crab nebula supernovaed ~1000 years ago it could be seen in the daytime for weeks!
__________________ Cookie  ;;; RIP Minnie |