astronomy field of study How Many Galaxies Are There in the Universe? Updated Galaxy Count

Did you hear that the Universe has 10x the number of galaxies? How did astronomers discover this, and what does it mean for the number of stars?

References:
http://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2...
http://www.jwst.nasa.gov/
http://jwst.nasa.gov/comparison.html
https://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i...
http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics...
http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~wright/den...

Support us at: http://www.patreon.com/universetoday
More stories at: http://www.universetoday.com/
Follow us on Twitter: @universetoday
Follow us on Tumblr: http://universetoday.tumblr.com/
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/universetoday
Google+ - https://plus.google.com/+universetoday/
Instagram - http://instagram.com/universetoday

Team: Fraser Cain - @fcain / frasercain@gmail.com
Jason Harmer - @jasoncharmer
Chad Weber - weber.chad@gmail.com

Created by: Fraser Cain and Jason Harmer
Edited by: Chad Weber

The wonderful thing about science is that it’s constantly searching for new evidence, revising estimates, throwing out theories, and sometimes discovering aspects of the Universe that we never realized existed.

The best science is skeptical of itself, always examining its own theories to find out where they could be wrong, and seriously considering new ideas to see if they better explain the observations and data.

What this means is that whenever I state some conclusion that science has reached, you can’t come back a few years later and throw that answer in my face. Science changes, it’s not my fault.

I get it, VY Canis Majoris isn’t the biggest star any more, it’s whatever the biggest star is right now. UY Scuti? That what it is today, but I’m sure it’ll be a totally different star when you watch this in a few years.

What I’m saying is, the science changes, numbers update, and we don’t need to get concerned when it happens. Change is a good thing.

And so, it’s with no big surprise that I need to update the estimate for the number of galaxies in the observable Universe. Until a couple of weeks ago, the established count for galaxies was about 200 billion galaxies.

But a new paper published in the Astrophysics Journal revised the estimate for the number of galaxies, by a factor of 10, from 200 billion to 2 trillion. 200 billion, I could wrap my head around, I say billion all the time. But 2 trillion? That’s just an incomprehensible number.

Does that throw all the previous estimates for the number of stars up as well? Actually, it doesn’t.

The observable Universe measures 13.8 billion light-years in all directions. What this means is that at the very edge of what we can see, is the light left that region 13.8 billion years ago. Furthermore, the expansion of the Universe has carried to those regions 46 billion light-years away.

Does that make sense? The light you’re seeing is 13.8 billion light-years old, but now it’s 46 billion light-years away. What this means is that the expansion of space has stretched out the light from all the photons trying to reach us.

What might have been visible or ultraviolet radiation in the past, has shifted into infrared, and even microwaves at the very edge of the observable Universe.

Since astronomers know the volume of the observable Universe, and they can calculate the density of the Universe, they know the mass of the entire Universe. 3.4 x 10^54 kilograms including regular matter and dark matter.

They also know the ratio of regular matter to dark matter, so they can calculate the total amount of regular mass in the Universe.

In the past, astronomers divided that total mass by the number of galaxies they could see in the original Hubble data and determined there were about 200 billion galaxies.

Now, astronomers used a new technique to estimate the galaxies and it’s pretty cool.

Astronomers used the Hubble Space Telescope to peer into a seemingly empty part of the sky and identified all the galaxies in it. This is the Hubble Ultra Deep Field, and it’s one of the most amazing pictures Hubble has ever captured.

Astronomers painstakingly converted this image of galaxies into a 3-dimensional map of galaxy size and locations. Then, they used their knowledge of galaxy structure closer to home to provide a more accurate estimate of what the galaxies must look like, out there, at the very edge of our observational ability.

For example, the Milky Way is surrounded by about 50 satellite dwarf galaxies, each of which has a fraction of the mass of the Milky Way.

By recognizing which were the larger main galaxies, they could calculate the distribution of smaller, dimmer dwarf galaxies that weren’t visible in the Hubble images.

In other words, if the distant Universe is similar to the nearby Universe, and this is one of the principles of modern astronomy, then the distant galaxies have the same structure as nearby galaxies.

astronomy field of study How Many Galaxies Are There in the Universe? Updated Galaxy Count
1,062 Likes	1,062 Dislikes
47,893 views views	253K followers
Science & Technology	Upload TimePublished on 1 Nov 2016

Related keywords

space news in tamil,space news nasa,cmbr big bang theory,the universe and the solar system ppt,fraser cain age,cmbr big bang,astronomy domine letra,astronomy news,number of galaxies in the universe 2017,fraser cain credentials,uy scuti diameter in km,science magazine,physics formula sheet,hubble space telescope 1990,cmbyn quotes,astronomy tools,physics jobs,hubble ultra deep field nasa,galaxies mtl squonk rdta,telescope starset letra,universe today podcast,easy,dark matter theory coffee,universe 25,dark matter space,largest star in the universe,observable universe logarithmic map,universe today newsletter,the universe's star ep 1,universe today,james webb space telescope facts,cosmic microwave background radiation discovery,vy canis majoris supernova,space jam 2 cast,universe today venus,mars attacks,fraser cain wiki,the universe email,physics for dummies,marsha p johnson,astronomy letra,largest star in the milky way,space news moon,universe quotes,fraser cain wikipedia,telescope galileo,hubble space telescope launch,vy canis majoris size,physics formulas,telescope in space,vy canis majoris vs sun,telescope lyrics,universe today pluto,observable universe in km,galaxies spirales,nasa shirt,vy canis majoris age,nasal decongestant,james webb space telescope jwst,galaxy s7,galaxy s8,galaxy s9,the universe and its origin,nasal cavity,universe meaning,hubble space telescope image,earth science regents,the universe has your back,universe of obligation,hubble space telescope nasa,james webb space telescope orbit,fraser cain bio,fraser cains actor,hubble ultra deep field video,largest starbucks in nyc,fraser cain book,galaxies invisibles,hubble ultra deep field ir,universe tickets,marshmello,universe today jupiter,james webb space telescope lego,science museum london,hubble ultra deep field download,earthlink webmail,hubble space telescope pictures,largest starbucks in the us,uy scuti vikipedi,observable universe reddit,total number of galaxies in the observable universe,nasa florida,the universe tarot,james webb space telescope original launch date,largest star known to man,science fiction lyrics,nasa lyrics,observable universe length,observable universe percentage,science daily,cosmic microwave background radiation big bang,universe today fraser cain,approximate number of galaxies in the universe,observable universe photo,number density of galaxies in the universe,space news mars,hubble ultra deep field hd,space mountain,cosmic microwave background radiation quizlet,hubble ultra deep field full resolution,universe today book,astronomy metallica,uy scuti name,telescope business school,universe definition,science fiction,astronomy picture of the day,physics memes,hubble space telescope price,fraser cain wife,largest star in our solar system,telescope chords,universe today news,nasal congestion,universe today mars,esalerugs,universe today neptune,nasa news,fraser cain podcast,space jam,esade,physics equations,galaxies visibles à l'oeil nu,how many galaxy clusters in the universe,dark matter salt nic,physics calculator,how many galaxies in the visible universe,number of galaxy clusters in the universe,hubble ultra deep field poster,universe age,how many galaxies in the universe nasa,universe today years of the planets,james webb space telescope wiki,galaxies mtl rta,marshall plan,physics jokes,science advances,esab welder,how many galaxies are there in the universe and their names,esalen,dark matter and dark energy,the universe ppt,largest star wars lego set,science direct elsevier,astronomy domine lyrics,uy scuti stellarium,astronomy domine tab,observable universe logarithmic illustration,the universe of us,space news india,largest starfish,uy scuti vv cephei,how many estimated galaxies in the universe,cmbrowser,hubble space telescope wikipedia,cosmic microwave background radiation sound,physics definition,science bits,universe today mercury,physics games,cosmic microwave background radiation definition,how many galaxies in the marvel universe,cmb,marshall store,cosmic microwave background radiation temperature,physics terms,telescope array,space news articles,hubble ultra deep field image download,galaxies univers,james webb space telescope status,earthquake now,dark matter vs dark energy,vy canis majoris location,esau,nasa hoodie,dark matter brainly,space news in hindi,esakal,dark matter book,space jam 2,vy canis majoris explosion,telescope f70076,observable universe video,esab,telescope 45x zoom apk,cosmic microwave background radiation upsc,astronomy reddit,universe sandbox,cosmic microwave background radiation measured with,hubble space telescope photos,observable universe image,astronomy software,sciencealert,nasa jobs,esam,esa dog,universe tattoo,the universe's star cast,galaxies elliptiques,how many galaxies in the universe in hindi,telescope f70060,hubble space telescope resolution,fraser cain patreon,fraser cain biography,james webb space telescope location,universe of stories,largest star ever discovered,earthquake near me,uy scuti vs canis majoris,fraser cain youtube,hubble ultra deep field image high resolution,observable universe picture,hubble ultra deep field images,james webb space telescope launch and deployment,science direct,space newsletter,esa letter,james webb space telescope exoplanets,cmb definition,the universe we dreamt lyrics,nasa space center,sciences po,esai morales,largest star wars lego,observable universe in light years,spacex stock,physics gre,space news websites,telescope express,galaxy edge,astronomy for dummies pdf,number of galaxies in the visible universe,marshall beach,nasacort,largest starbucks in manhattan,science hub,telescope amazon,universe today saturn,cnbc,science kombat,galaxies hubble,vy canis majoris constellation,nasa astronaut anne mcclain,estimated number of galaxies in the observable universe,largest star trek ship,universe today twitter,hubble space telescope wiki,cmbiz,dark matter definition,space needle,dark matter vape juice,dark matter definition science,space news podcast,vy canis majoris radius,uy scuti elite dangerous,hubble space telescope definition,cosmic microwave background radiation for dummies,astronomy domine chords,dark matter cast,fraser cain newsletter,galaxy s10,largest startups in nyc,fraser cain twitter,universe today uranus,observable universe scale,uy scuti wiki,telescope letra,vy canis majoris facts,astronomy lyrics,vy canis majoris wiki,universe background,physics classroom,physics regents,earthquake california,astronomy and astrophysics,nasal vestibulitis,marshmallow,universe today logo,space center houston,uy scuti scutum,how many stars galaxies in the universe,eartha kitt,dark matter meaning,observable universe simulation,esalon,how much galaxies in the universe,universe today app,uy scuti wikipedia,cosmic microwave background radiation meaning,cosmic microwave background radiation map,how many galaxies in the observable universe,fraser cain net worth,the universe and the solar system,vy canis majoris hypernova,dark matter bloodstained,vy canis majoris adalah,space news daily,hubble ultra deep field 3d fly-thru,marshall ca,astronomy names,earth signs,how many galaxies exist in the universe,how do astronomers estimate the number of galaxies in the universe,dark matter series,uy scuti size,number of galaxies in our universe,james webb space telescope reddit,universe today patreon,dark matter movie,nasal polyps,nasa fcu,vy canis majoris uy scuti,universe sandbox free,hubble space telescope mirror,universe today big bang theory,space news app,james webb space telescope northrop grumman,earth lyrics,galaxies connues,vy canis majoris size compared to sun,hubble space telescope facts,telescope starset lyrics,telescope online,earth lil dicky,marshalls san jose,telescope definition,vy canis majoris compared to earth,hubble space telescope information,cosmic microwave background radiation proof of big bang,physics girl,cmb chikako,james webb space telescope upsc,the universe is expanding,hubble space telescope live,james webb space telescope launch,cosmic microwave background radiation is a form of,uy scuti in solar system,fraser cain education,number of galaxies in the known universe,cosmic microwave background radiation pdf,fraser cain email,number of galaxies and stars in the universe,earth wind and fire,cmb studio makati,the universe is unchanging,cambridge,space crime,how many galaxies in the whole universe,hubble ultra deep field 2014,the universe of us epub,marshawn lynch,telescope f40040m,spacex,universe synonym,earth shoes,space news now,earth fare,largest starbucks chicago,vy canis majoris temperature,marsai martin,observable universe vs universe,earthquake bay area,earthquake today,science research,hubble ultra deep field 2018,hubble ultra deep field 2019,hubble ultra deep field high resolution wallpaper,telescopio,largest star destroyer,esasd,estimated number of galaxies in the universe,nasa houston,james webb space telescope pictures,telescope cage the elephant,space news 2019,how many galaxy in universe name,hubble ultra deep field high resolution poster,total number of galaxies in the universe,dark matter season 4,uy scuti vs sun,space coast credit union,number of spiral galaxies in the universe,science en español,how many galaxies are there in the universe name them,esata,the universe is at your feet,earthgang,cmb meaning,astronomy metallica lyrics,space cowboys,space news asteroid,hubble ultra deep field 4k,earthlink,nasal spray,galaxies mtl,galaxies mtl rda,cosmic microwave background radiation simple explanation,observable universe poster,marsupial,james webb space telescope solar panels,physics textbook,astronomy books,space news reddit,observable universe age,cmb brann,dark matter exia,astronomy domine,galaxies lointaines,marshall islands,cmb airport,dark matter facts,largest startups,vy canis majoris elite dangerous,observable universe size comparison,esa card,cmbrowser download,fraser cain death threats,total no. of galaxies in the universe,hubble space telescope images,space race,marshall faulk,telescope laravel,space news uk,uy scuti google sky,http://spacenews.com,spaceballs,how many galaxies in the universe 2018,how many galaxies in the universe 2017,mars bar,how many galaxies in the universe are there,hubble space telescope discoveries,physics reference table,science of the total environment,hubble ultra deep field wallpaper,esa registration,current estimate of the number of galaxies in the universe,vy canis majoris diameter,how many galaxies in the universe 2019,science fiction movies,fraser cains grange hill,the universe conspires,nasa astronauts,dark matter examples,uy scuti temperature in celsius,hubble space telescope galaxies,observable universe mass,cmb bank,cmb films,cosmic microwave background radiation gcse,uy scuti diameter,largest star in the galaxy,earthquake los angeles,uy scuti radius,cosmic microwave background radiation frequency,physics today,universe wallpaper,space force,science news,science traduccion,cmbrowser apk,nasa amazon fire,space movies,marshalls,universe towing,vy canis majoris vs uy scuti,nasa logo,space invaders,the universe's star,universe appliance,cosmic microwave background radiation tv static,uy scuti in sky,hubble ultra deep field image,marsala wine,universe today earth,space news australia,james webb space telescope alien life,vy canis majoris vs earth,physics news,uy scuti википедия,universe pictures,earthquake,marsha edwards,largest starbucks size,number of galaxies in the observable universe,space station,hubble space telescope history,spacex launch,largest star wars ship,galaxies mtl rdta - vapefly,physics subject test,space news magazine,marshmello face,how many galaxies in the known universe,science citation index,the universe is composed of,galaxies visibles,cosmic microwave background radiation theory,space shuttle,galaxies revue,space camp,cosmic microwave background radiation activity,hubble ultra deep field high resolution,the universe is mostly made up of what,astronomy linux,largest starbucks,fraser cain astronomy,astronomy wallpaper,james webb space telescope gktoday,observable universe map,the universe of us lang leav,esanation,james webb space telescope delay,james webb space telescope resolving power,how many galaxies in the entire universe,earthbound,observable universe limit,cmbyn,esalon reviews,universe dota,number of galaxies in the universe nasa,dark matter ffx,cmb searching and staffing,marseille,universe toyota,esam twitter,earthworm sally,number of galaxies in the universe,hubble space telescope location,