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Geography: Map of the Observable Universe

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BIG HISTORY PROJECT / LESSON 2.2ACTIVITY GEOGRAPHY: MAPOF THE OBSERVABLE UNIVERSE1Unless otherwise noted, this work is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Credit: “Geography: Mapof theObservable Universe”, OER Project, https://www.oerproject.com/PurposeAnalyzing a map of the Universe will help you make sense of the vastness of time and space—and allow you to see where you fit in.Key informationGeographical mapsusually dealswith the surface of the Earth. Butsometimes,maps can help us understand our Universe beyond Earth. To understandthe vastnessof the Universe, we need maps of both space and time.Scientists created a map of the observable Universe*that stretches back 13.7 billion years, when the first light after the Big Bang was released. It took 15 years and a very fancy telescope in New Mexico to capture the color and position of over 200,000 galaxies. Each tiny dot on the map is a galaxy containing billionsof stars and planets.This map, though,is also a timeline. The light from the very distant galaxies at the edge of the map has traveled billionsof years to reach us. This is a map that looks out in space but alsoback in time.This map shows the “observable Universe,” which means that it is a map of the Universe from our perspective—it’s the limit of what we can see from Earth. If you look out far enough in any direction from Earth, this is what you see. Today—right now—you’re sitting at the center of the observable Universe.*If you’re having trouble visualizing the map, you can see an artist’s interpretation of ithere:•Observable Universe Logarithmic Map•Observable Universe Logarithmic Map CircularProcess1.Review “The Map of the Observable Universe.”Begin byscrollingto the bottom and clickingExplore the Map in the bottom right-hand corner. Keep track of where you are in time on the left of the map and track the locations of objects in space on the right of the map. After you’ve explored the map, answer the questionson the next page.
BIG HISTORY PROJECT / LESSON 2.2ACTIVITY GEOGRAPHY: MAPS OF TIME2•Where is our galaxy—the Milky Way—on the map?•Where is the edge of the observable Universe on the map?Where is the center?•Why can’t we see beyond 13.7 billion years ago?•Why do the colors on the map change from the bottom to the top of the map?•Why do the shapes of galaxies that we can see on the map change from the bottom to the top of the map?2.Now, answer this question: If someone in another galaxy made a map like this, would it look the same or different? Explain your reasoning.