Wolf Pack

Tonight I stood on my driveway and looked back in time.

As I enjoyed the view of the Andromeda Galaxy I pondered its distance from Earth. Actually, its distance defies human comprehension but, let's try to make some sense of it anyhow.

That galaxy--a twin of our own Milky Way Galaxy by the way--is approximately two and a quarter million light years from Earth. A light-year is a convenient measure of celestial distance. It is simply the distance light travels in a year's time.

You remember, of course, the speed of light is about 186,000 miles per second. You simply need to figure out how many seconds there are in a year and multiply that by 186,000. Your answer reveals how many miles light travels in a year.

Now, you multiply that answer by 2 and 1/4 million and you will know how many miles separates us from Andromeda. Give or take a few, of course.

Stated another way, the light you are seeing when you look at Andromeda actually left there 2 1/4 million years ago on its journey here. So, when you are seeing Andromeda you are actually seeing an image that is 2 1/4 million years old.

Hence, my opening premise, "...looked back in time." Ponder that for a moment.

It makes my head hurt. --Terry