How Many Planets Are There In Our Galaxy?

Any fan of this site knows that we love posting stories about the universe. After all, pondering the wonders of space can be downright mind-blowing.

It’s almost impossible to actually comprehend the sheer scale and size of our own galaxy, let alone the universe as a whole. But recently scientists have said that there are more than 100 billion planets in the Milky Way galaxy, and at least as many stars. Think about that for a moment. It’s tough to even visualize. Scientists tell us that the largest number our minds can really comprehend is about a 100 thousand.

So think about it like this. You are familiar with out solar system, where there are just eight planets and one star. Our solar system alone is billion miles wide. If you got on a jet and flew at 600 miles per hour across the solar system, it would take roughly 1,000 years. Now, remember that our solar system is just one of billions of star systems in the Milky Way galaxy. And the Milky Way galaxy is just one of billions of galaxies in the universe.

Still confused? Visit http://scaleofuniverse.com/ for a cool interactive look at the scale of the universe, allowing you to zoom from the tiniest known element on Earth –  all the way to the ends of the universe. Very cool.

10 Comments

  1. Whoa. O.O

    By the way, it says “You are familiar with out solar system…”. Out should be our, I think.

  2. Wow. That’s just amazing. I can’t look at the other link because I need a download, but it’s still really cool. I would recommend the Cosmos series to any science fan. It’s on Netflix for free as well.

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