Whenever I get overwhelmed by the enormity of the cosmos, I always remember this great line from the classic sitcom Cheers -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcxbmSRjpLU
I think of the line in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" when Indy is getting Coronado's Cross back.
His nemesis is saying how small the world is and Indy replies, "Too small for the two of US".
As far as the size of the universe is concerned, it is a subject that easily blows my mind.
Oh, to be able to explore this galaxy and others. Just think of how many things are out there that would defy belief or description.
That was an excllent .gif, m2morris. Thanks a lot for posting it. The names of those stars transport me to my big sci-fi days. The scale is phenomenal, our existence miraculous.
I remember Bill Bryson writing about how improbable our existence is; something along the lines of 'every single one of your ancestors, from parents right back through to the first complex organisms managed to survive long enough to find a mate, procreate and ensure that the offspring survived. He put it much better than I did, but the idea bowled me over.
Here is the same thing, but in video form:
Star Size Comparison HD
I think it may have been posted here a while back, though I'm not sure. I usually find this kind of cool things here first!
I find that as soon as the last "familiar" object vanishes from view, it becomes impossible to truly comprehend the scale. "Wow that's big, and that's even bigger" is all I can think.
I still enjoy contemplating the size and age of the universe, even if I can't really understand it. The universe is amazing, and I think simply being aware of this has value in itself.