The Universe Is Big, and We Are Small

We've all seen or heard numerous examples and even had experiences that clue us in to just how huge the universe is and how infinitesimal we are. We are amazed by this reality. It might affect us for a few moments, hours, or days, and then we go back to worrying about what's for dinner.

Here's one, it's a picture taken of Saturn back lit by the sun:

Pretty cool, right? But is this more than just a pretty picture of planet we take for granted as being out there somewhere? Look a little closer:

See that little dot in the upper left corner? Yeah, you guessed it, that's Earth. Smile, you're being photographed.

I must give credit where it's due, I pretty much stole this entire sequence from Phil Plait's "Top Ten Astronomy Pictures of the 2006" post (http://www.badastronomy.com/bablog/2006/12/27/the-top-ten-astronomy-images-of-2006/)

With credit now given, I will disclose that when I first saw this, it took my breath away. Since then, I've not only found my ability to both inhale and exhale, but I've also eaten beef wellington with potatoes and green beans for dinner.

Happy New Year, and good night.