50 billion planets in the Milky Way

General Academics Science, Technology and Medicine
1

I saw this mentioned over at MyBB.

Scientists have estimated the first cosmic census of planets in our galaxy and the numbers are astronomical - at least 50 billion planets in the Milky Way.

And some 500 million of those planets are in what is known as the Goldilocks zone, where the climate is thought to be not-too-hot and not-too-cold, and life could exist.

2

WoW - just WoW

God put 500 million planets in the Goldilocks Zone!!!

…or that finally blows that mad hypothesis out of the water, who can tell really?

But that is simply astounding, rwenzori. That seems like a hell of a lot of planets to me. Now if we can just perfect the warp drive…

3

Oh, I’m sure someone out there will … :smiley:

Looks like we can dust off and start evaluating that famous Drake equation any day now.

Mintaka

4

Stunning, isn’t it. But that’s just our galaxy - the article states “Scientists figure there are 100 billion galaxies.” Big numbers - too many for my fingers and toes. Elebenty gazillion, I reckon.

Edit. My cat Tiddles says its elebenty elebenty gazillion. :wink:

5

…and to think they all ride on the back of a giant turtle!

6

…and it is all made for us. :o

7

And God chose US to be in the center of it all!

8

An absolute miracle if there ever has been in all the universe’s existence.

Seriously, I recognize this is a complete argument from ignorance but it is one of the things I cannot get my head around - all this size, all this absolutely incredible amount of time, time beyond comprehension, size beyond imagination … and God wants us to worship him? And ask him for stuff? And kill each other because they don’t believe in Jesus or little dick …erm I mean Mo or whatever? And stone homosexual people because it is an abomination? Or if not stone anymore at least ostracize? - I simply cannot get it.

My mind …boggles.

What I do realise is that theist’s look at the same universe and they cannot imagine how it can possibly be without the Hand of God - the same argument form ignorance in reverse.

Once I understand this difference, I think I won’t find these discussions so interesting and so compelling that I even take topics in science and relate it back to religion. And maybe I can forgive my society and culture for the indoctrination they forced on me.

And that is enough introspect and reflection for a Friday - that is a shit lot of planets ;D

9

Bloody arse, I’d much rather have been a cat.