I think I need to add a 3rd layer to your equation:

Solar System
-- Milky Way Galaxy
Deep Space

There are certainly very interesting objects within our galaxy (e.g., M42,
NGC7293) which are not in our solar system... while there are some
incredibly boring objects (e.g., Pluto) which are in our solar sytem.

This is where I like to spend most of my dark sky observing time... hunting
down planetaries and other objects which are not millions of light years
away, but right on the next block (cosmologically speaking). The fact that I
will never get to them really doesn't bother me, because I'll likely never
even make it as far as the moon (or even the ISS).

"Dave & Janelle" wrote in message
...

In a very real way, we can divide the Universe up into two pieces: Our
Solar
System, and everything else. Or, equivalently, stuff that matters and
stuff
that doesn't.

Things outsite our Solar System are interesting only on an abstract,
theoretical basis. We won't interact with them in my lifetime, and
probably
not in the lifetimes of my great-great-great-great-great-great grandkids
either. I view deep-sky stuff sometimes... like the Andromeda Galaxy.
Andromeda is about 2.2 million light-years away - just over
13000000000000000000 miles. But seriously - would it matter so much if
there
were a couple more zeros in that number? It is *so* far away that it just
doesn't matter! And Andromeda is a relatively nearby galaxy.