The Astronomical Reach of Fundamental Physics
  Using basic physical arguments, we derive by dimensional and physical
analysis the characteristic masses and sizes of important objects in the
Universe in terms of just a few fundamental constants. This exercise
illustrates the unifying power of physics and the profound connections between
the small and the large in the Cosmos we inhabit. We focus on the minimum and
maximum masses of normal stars, the corresponding quantities for neutron stars,
the maximum mass of a rocky planet, the maximum mass of a white dwarf, and the
mass of a typical galaxy. To zeroth order, we show that all these masses can be
expressed in terms of either the Planck mass or the Chandrasekar mass, in
combination with various dimensionless quantities. With these examples we
expose the deep interrelationships imposed by Nature between disparate realms
of the Universe and the amazing consequences of the unifying character of
physical law.
