In "A Short History of Nearly Everything," Bill Bryson highlights the vast distances within our solar system and beyond. He notes that Pluto, the dwarf planet, is a significant 40 astronomical units (AUs) away from Earth, emphasizing its remoteness. In comparison, the heart of the Oort cloud, the theoretical boundary of our solar system, lies about fifty thousand AUs from us, illustrating the immense scale of space.
This perspective on distance allows readers to grasp just how isolated these celestial bodies are within the universe. Bryson's work invites us to appreciate the complexities of our cosmic neighborhood while acknowledging the challenges of exploring and understanding such far-flung places.