You are viewing a single comment's thread.

view the rest of the comments →

[–] [deleted] 0 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago 

[Deleted]

0
3

[–] Crensch 0 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago  (edited ago)

It was almost impossible until we found what's called a standard candle. That is, a way to ensure that twinkling lights out there are at a known quantity of brightness.

We found that standard candle in supernovae. They are all equally bright.

Light disperses at 1 over the distance squared, and with the knowledge of how bright something is supposed to be, and how bright it looks, you can calculate its distance from you.

Fun fact: The lack of standard candles is why Hubble's (the man, not the telescope) calculations were wrong originally, leading to a calculation that the universe was only 1.5 billion years old; younger than the planet was already known to be at the time.

Fun fact: Supernovae are the brightest things in the universe.

0
1

[–] Rakosman 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

Quasars are the brightest objects in the universe, which are generated from supermassive black holes. Although, I don't know if they are in specifically visible light.

[–] [deleted] 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

[Deleted]

1
0

[–] Native 1 point 0 points (+1|-1) ago 

Space doesn't exist because we live on a Flat Earth

0
0

[–] carlip ago 

it's all relative.

0
0

[–] TwistedSista ago 

Look up, look waaaay up, IT'S FUCKING FAR!!