How big, how old, and how dense is the Universe?

An exploration by Jeff Vogtschaller
University of Wisconsin, Madison
For his Sauk County 4-H Astronomy Project

How do astronomers know how far away all those exotic stars and galaxies are, how can they tell there are planets around other stars, and how do we know the universe is expanding? The answer to these questions is all the same!

What would you like to know about?

The Yellow sodium "Proof"

"Bullets" of light and Electrons

Fingerprints for Gas?

The Doppler Shift

Wobble Stars

Truth in Advertizing

Things that go BANG! in the night or Hubble isn't just a telescope

Bailey's Beads

Warm Fuzzy Glow

Let me Introduce You to...

A Long Time Ago...

Things That Go BANG! in the Night

Dark Matter (or, May the Force be with You!)

The 74% Solution (Dark Energy)

Dark and a Dot Where it's Not

Gravity is Really Weak?