• Question: if we've only been to the moon how do we know about other galaxies and planets.

    Asked by 267speq37 to Stephen, Sita, Rory, Hannah, Brian, Alison on 5 Mar 2019.
    • Photo: Rory Scarrott

      Rory Scarrott answered on 5 Mar 2019:


      We can see them using telescopes, and measure them using really cool complicated instruments which can detect far more than our eyes can see.

    • Photo: Brian OConnor

      Brian OConnor answered on 5 Mar 2019:


      We can sense their presence through the light they emit and sometimes they leave “echoes” in space which can be picked up by instruments in Earth. We know how fast light travels and so can also calculate distances to these other galaxies. However I am not an expert on this topic!

    • Photo: Sita Karki

      Sita Karki answered on 5 Mar 2019:


      We don’t have to go somewhere to know it exist! We can use remote sensing to see things far away from us. Scientists use telescope which are powerful to see things that are far away.

    • Photo: Hannah Currivan

      Hannah Currivan answered on 5 Mar 2019:


      Thanks to telescopes here on Earth and in orbit around Earth we are able to see other galaxies. 🙂
      Such telescopes are the “Hubble Space Telescope”, “XMM Newton”, and ” Swift Gamma Ray Burst Explorer “, to name a few that are in space. 🙂 🙂 🙂
      On Earth we have telescopes like “I-LOFAR”, “European Southern Observatory”, and “Teide Observatory”, to name a few. 🙂 🙂 🙂
      A very exciting telescope to keep an eye out for is the “James Webb Space Telescope” that is planned to launch in 2021 (Once there are no more delays)!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂

    • Photo: Stephen O'Connor

      Stephen O'Connor answered on 5 Mar 2019: last edited 5 Mar 2019 4:33 pm


      There is a galaxy that you can see with your own eyes in the northern hemisphere (where Ireland is) called the Andromeda galaxy. It is the closest galaxy to our own Milky Way (the one we live in) and has billions of stars too.
      The best time to view it is between August and September.
      Being somewhere dark and using a pair of binoculars will help.
      Ask your teacher or parents to help you.
      This guide can help you to find it in the night sky: https://www.wikihow.com/Find-the-Andromeda-Galaxy
      Have fun looking for it, I am sure you will see other cool things 🙂

    • Photo: Alison Dufresne

      Alison Dufresne answered on 5 Mar 2019:


      Many many hours of people looking up thinking “what the hell is that!”.
      We built telescopes so we could see better. We’ve spent hundred of thousands of hours staring at the skies and, here’s a little secret, we still don’t know much about other galaxies and planets!!
      We know that they exist but we don’t even know if there are underground rivers on Mars. That’s part of why we need to go there and find out for ourselves. Telescopes and robotic missions are awesome but nothings better than seeing it for yourself!! 🙂

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