Cancer Posted August 25, 2005 Report Share Posted August 25, 2005 Artist's conception of our Galaxy, viewed from "above". More and more people seem to be joining the barred spiral bandwagon. Click on the image there and you'll get a wallpaper-worthy version. Click on the "this artist's illustration" link in the image caption on the linked page and you'll see where in the picture we fit. Very briefly, 6 o'clock from the center, between the spiral arms # 2 and 3, counting outward. No, I don't have a good handle on what it'd be like to traverse the "bar" in a starship, whether it'd be different at all from any other part of the galaxy. I'll have to think about that. (In general, if you're in a large galaxy, you never want to go near the black hole at the center, but I think most of the bar is outside the hazard zone.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mutant for Hire Posted August 25, 2005 Report Share Posted August 25, 2005 Re: What the Milky Way looks like It would look like this part of the galaxy, perhaps the stars are a bit more densely packed. Frankly, I would never go through the bar. Too much danger of being smacked around by the radiation departing from a supernova, which happen with disturbing frequency in that part of the galaxy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NuSoardGraphite Posted August 25, 2005 Report Share Posted August 25, 2005 Re: What the Milky Way looks like I figure the Core of any galaxy of significant size would be extremely dangerous to all but the most advanced races. Black Holes, Super Nova and Pulsars everywhere. Sensors would be practically useless and communication less so (good luck calling for help when a nearby Pulsar knocks out your stardrive) Very large and very old stars within 1-2 LY distance from one another. And wierd stuff...stuff that we've yet to discover, or even theorize. Only a madman would fly through something like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
austenandrews Posted August 25, 2005 Report Share Posted August 25, 2005 Re: What the Milky Way looks like Sign me up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egyptoid Posted August 25, 2005 Report Share Posted August 25, 2005 Re: What the Milky Way looks like Artist's conception of our Galaxy' date=' viewed from "above"[/url']. No, I don't have a good handle on what it'd be like to traverse the "bar" in a starship, whether it'd be different at all from any other part of the galaxy.... the hazard zone.) its easy: cross the bar, get psychic powers, kill everyone in the crew except the hot girl that also got psychic powers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
austenandrews Posted August 25, 2005 Report Share Posted August 25, 2005 Re: What the Milky Way looks like its easy: cross the bar, get psychic powers, kill everyone in the crew except the hot girl that also got psychic powers. I think that was the outer circumference. If memory serves, God lives in the bar. Bet he's got a stiff drink, too, which would explain a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted August 25, 2005 Report Share Posted August 25, 2005 Re: What the Milky Way looks like I can see my house from here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyrath Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 Re: What the Milky Way looks like Such barred spiral galaxies are common, but so far no astronomer can quite figure out what causes them. They bother me since as a general rule in nature one never finds straight lines, only curves. One generally finds straight lines due to something being crafted by intelligent beings... Sir Arthur C. Clarke mentioned the possibility of our discovering highly advanced alien civilizations by detecting evidence of engineering on an astronomical scale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
austenandrews Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 Re: What the Milky Way looks like At first gloss, I would think the bar indicates polar behavior. Spin this thing around and see if the ends don't bleed off into a spiral shape: http://lisa.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/stellar-mass-black-hole.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSgeekHero Posted September 6, 2005 Report Share Posted September 6, 2005 Re: What the Milky Way looks like Such barred spiral galaxies are common, but so far no astronomer can quite figure out what causes them. They bother me since as a general rule in nature one never finds straight lines, only curves. One generally finds straight lines due to something being crafted by intelligent beings... Sir Arthur C. Clarke mentioned the possibility of our discovering highly advanced alien civilizations by detecting evidence of engineering on an astronomical scale. MWAHAHA:eg: repped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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