i dont understand outer space very well...help?

Question

so in space, there are many galaxies, and in between the galaxies is nothing?
are galaxies are just names for clusters of planets/stars?
and the universe means everything that exists in space?

i would like to learn about space but i have not taken physics yet...it is hard to understand some things like dimensions etc so any help would be nice

Answer 1

You're correct about what galaxies are. In between them there's not much, but there is some drifting hydrogen, helium, and traces of other gases. Although none has ever been observed, it's also possible that there are a few stars and even planets in intergalactic space that have been ejected from their home galaxies.



By definition, the universe is everything that ever was, is now, or ever will be.



Don't be discouraged by not having any physics or high-level math under your belt yet. The main thing you need to learn about space is what you already seem to have: interest in the subject.

Answer 2

>so in space, there are many galaxies, and in between the galaxies is nothing?



Pretty much. There is a small amount of gas, but it is spread so thinly that for most practical purposes it's not there.



>are galaxies are just names for clusters of planets/stars?



Galaxies are specific collections of stars and other stuff which are physically separate from the other galaxies around them. For instance, we do not call the Perseus Arm a galaxy, because there is too much other stuff right beside it that it is not part of it. But we call the Milky Way as a whole a galaxy, because it is relatively isolated and surrounded by empty space.



>and the universe means everything that exists in space?



Pretty much.

Answer 3

Basically a Galaxy is just a cluster of stars, like our Milky Way Galaxy. In-between is essentially nothing, but there are some stray stars (from being thrown out of orbit around the galaxy by any number of things. Galaxies are also in groups called Philaments (I think), but basically they have names for groups of galaxies and then groups of those groups.... Its quite confusing (like houses are in a region, then in a city, then state/province, then country, then continent), but its pointless knowing them :P You can learn a lot of things by watching "How the universe works", that's how I learnt my stuff, and physics will not really help you with astronomy until university. Hope that helped

Answer 4

You are right. A galaxy is an enormous group of stars, and between the galaxies there's pretty much nothing.

Answer 5

Galaxies are (usually) roughly circular disks of stars. Between galaxies are faint traces of gases, but little else. Astronomers are still trying to figure out what "The Universe" is.



Don't be afraid to go to the library and check out easy books on astronomy.



http://www.amazon.com/Astronomy-Eyewitness-Books-Kristen-Lippincott/dp/0756637678/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328995527&sr=1-1http://www.amazon.com/Astronomy-Eyewitness-Books-Kristen-Lippincott/dp/0756637678/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328995527&sr=1-1



is good. Go to Google and type in the words "planetarium" and the name of your city to see if there is a planetarium in your area.



https://www.google.com/#hl=en&tok=U7YI7WSBSwlpetPtjwT8Xg&cp=9&gs_id=45&xhr=t&q=planetarium&pf=p&sclient=psy-ab&site=&source=hp&pbx=1&oq=planetari&aq=0&aqi=g4&aql=&gs_sm=&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.,cf.osb&fp=cf70c61b693b3eb4&biw=1242&bih=448



Questions like yours are good. They might end up being the start of a career as an astronomer.



(Why on earth do you like cats in your guacamole? I don't like finding a hair in my guacamole, let alone an entire cat.)

Answer 6

You seem to understand it pretty well to me.