Diagram of the Milky Way galaxy showing labeled locations of the Sun, Milky Way center, Sagittarius dwarf elliptical, and Canis Major dwarf, with axes marking 80,000 light-years.

The Scale of the Universe: Earth's Solar System and Beyond

Name: The Scale of the Universe: Earth's Solar System and Beyond
Uploaded: 2026-06-30T10:19:30Z
Duration: 1 min 2 s
Description: How big is our world?

How big is our world?

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

© American Chemical Society (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

The chemistry of mummies, ghosts, and vampires.

The Chemistry of Mummies, Ghosts, and Vampires
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Learn more about the issue of biodiversity loss with Enrique Salmón, a professor at California State University, East Bay.

Enrique Salmón Explains the Threat of Biodiversity Loss
© Brian Owens/Reuters

Aurora borealis is also called the northern lights.

Watch: The Aurora Borealis in Iowa
JPL/NASA

Learn how long a year is on Mars.

Martian year
NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS

Video captured by NASA's Perseverance rover, as the Ingenuity helicopter took the first powered, controlled flight on another planet, on April 19, 2021. The rover was parked at “Van Zyl Overlook,” about 64.3 meters (211 feet) away in Mars's Jezero Crater and chronicled the flight operations with its cameras.

first flight of Ingenuity helicopter on Mars
© Open University (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

A discussion of the possibility of microbial life on Mars.

the possibility of life on Mars
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Let's go on a planetary parade.

Media Editor: Lauren Sims

When Was the Last Time All the Planets Aligned?