National Geographic Abu Dhabi Sizes Up The Universe

Discover the true meaning of the word "big". Discover how scientists are using nanotechnology to develop lifesaving cures and ingenious inventions.

From the enormous universe in which we exist to tiny atoms that make up the building blocks of everything around us, size matters when it comes to understanding the cosmos. Premiering on May 22nd at 9 pm UAE on National Geographic Abu Dhabi (NGAD), Known Universe: Sizing up the Universe explores the true meaning of the word “big”, beginning with our own solar system.

Our neighbourhood of planets may seem vast, but compared to the size of our Milky Way galaxy, our solar system is really tiny. And our galaxy is only one of about 100 billion galaxies in the cosmos. In fact, if they suddenly turned into peas, they could fill a sports arena. But every giant object in our unbelievably expansive universe is made of tiny bits of matter called atoms. The atom is a universe within itself on a minute scale — 500,000 atoms could hide behind a single strand of human hair. Amazingly, the size ratio between an electron and the nucleus it buzzes around is equivalent to a fly inside a cathedral.

Tune into the NGAD channel and peer into the atomic world to see what holds together all the matter we can see, and hear from scientists who are using nanotechnology to design tiny structures on an atomic scale to develop lifesaving cures and ingenious inventions.

Watch Known Universe: Sizing up the Universe exclusively on National Geographic Abu Dhabi
 

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