If you have three minutes - you do, or you wouldn't be here - take a look at this.
http://inspiremore.com/nasa-just-released-the-largest-photo-ever-taken-what-it-shows-will-shake-you-up/
Cliffs: Survey of a quadrant of the Andromeda Galaxy = M I N D B L O W N 
Wow.
I feel very insignificant now
Should have the X Files theme playing along with the words "We are not alone..."
Very cool. Here is a less "clickbaity" link for the same thing:
https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/hubble-s-high-definition-panoramic-view-of-the-andromeda-galaxy
NASA said: The panorama is the product of the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury (PHAT) program.
PHAT.......heh.
Remember, we are the product of the remnants of a super-nova explosion.
It's where atoms larger than hydrogen and helium are made.
Photo looks like a painting. Kinda breath-taking. 
Grtechguy wrote: I feel very insignificant now
Don't. The same elements that make up the galaxy and everything in it are the same elements within you.
We are all made of stars.
In reply to Appleseed:
Or precious snowflakes? 
alfadriver wrote: Remember, we are the product of the remnants of a super-nova explosion. It's where atoms larger than hydrogen and helium are made.
Up through iron comes through regular stellar nucleosynthesis, it's the elements above that which are formed in a supernova.
Also, IIRC there's some thought now that a lot of the really heavy stuff comes from collisions between neutron stars.
Hard to believe there's no one else out there .....
Awesome!
Two things: Overview Effect
And obligatory: "Space is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space."
I looked at the picture, but I am straining to see Andromeda.
Thank goodness I already made my reservation.
I think it was the Radiolab podcast episode "Elements" that talked about the genesis of the heavier elements and supernovae. It was a great listen. We are starstuff, indeed.
914Driver wrote: Hard to believe there's no one else out there .....
This kind of stuff is the only evidence that I need to know that we aren't.
Interesting thought. Given that Andromeda is 2 million light years away, that picture is really what it looked like 2 million years ago.
914Driver wrote: Hard to believe there's no one else out there .....
I'm sure they're out there. The problem is, IF they could travel to other stars quickly and easily, there's so many to choose from that they'd have a remote chance of finding somebody else. The odds are almost as long as the distance between the stars.
One of the current thoughts out there is that there is a very limited period of time in which a civilizations radio transmissions would be distinguishable from background noise.
After that period we (and presumably aliens) will have signal encryption strong enough to make it indistinguishable from background radiation. In human terms the length of time between invention of radio and signal encryption will be much less than 150 years, after which period it should be much less likely for discovery of alien civilizations.
Or, might just be a dusty lens.
secretariata wrote: Photo looks like a painting. Kinda breath-taking.
It does look like a painting. Totally wow.
slefain wrote: Thank goodness I already made my reservation.
But did you put aside the $ in advance? 
2.5 million light years away. Just think, that entire galaxy could not even be there anymore for all we know. Any time in the last 2.5 million years it could have been sucked up into a marble like Men in Black or devoured by some enormous black hole or the aliens that lived there sucked up their stars for energy and accidentally used up the last one. We won't know for millions of years.
bastomatic wrote: One of the current thoughts out there is that there is a very limited period of time in which a civilizations radio transmissions would be distinguishable from background noise. After that period we (and presumably aliens) will have signal encryption strong enough to make it indistinguishable from background radiation. In human terms the length of time between invention of radio and signal encryption will be much less than 150 years, after which period it should be much less likely for discovery of alien civilizations.
Take a look at the Fermi Paradox
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