Our Galaxy

[altezon]

Our Galaxy (The Milky Way)



The Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy whose name refers to the band of light that it forms in the night sky. Since our solar system lies within it, we have to deduce what it looks like from outside. It's actually spherical if you include the halo regions where many of the older stars reside, along with dark Massive Astrophysical Compact Halo Objects (MACHOs). But the prominent feature is the bright disk (the galactic plane) that bisects the sphere. Current estimates place the stellar population at 200-400 billion stars and the disc diameter at 100,000 light years.

We're located about 25,000 light years from the heavily populated galactic center, which means we're only now seeing how it appeared 25,000 years ago.

[altezon]

how can my suffering be so immense to myself and so insignificant to the universe?

To the galaxy, you mean? Information about your suffering takes time to cover the enormous distances involved.

[billy]

how can my suffering be so immense to myself and so insignificant to the universe?

because compared to the galaxy, you're so so tiny much smaller to it than a microbe is to us

@ altezon;
which one of those stars is us?
and why are the stars we see so fascinating i wonder.

[altezon]

which one of those stars is us?
and why are the stars we see so fascinating i wonder.

The second photo is an infrared view of the galactic center, which is normally
blocked from our view in visible light by the intervening dust. Pretty crowded, isn't it?

[billy]

there as to be life out there beside our own. has to be.

[altezon]

there as to be life out there beside our own. has to be.

I assume you mean intelligent life, and I agree. We'll never meet them, but they're there.

[billy]

i wonder if they'll be races similar enough to our own
that we couldn't tell the difference?

[addy]

i wonder if they'll be races similar enough to our own
that we couldn't tell the difference?

That would be very unlikely, no matter what the scifi shows would have you believe

Aside from being carbon-based organisms, there were probably billions upon billions of little coincidences that led us to evolve exactly as we did, and so successfully. It's really amazing to think.

[altezon]

That would be very unlikely, no matter what the scifi shows would have you believe

Aside from being carbon-based organisms, there were probably billions upon billions of little coincidences that led us to evolve exactly as we did, and so successfully. It's really amazing to think.

I think it's unlikely that the likelihood can be estimated.

Panspermia is an interesting concept. We already know that some primitive invertebrates can survive the cold and vacuum of space and the heat of reentry to the atmosphere. Comets originating outside our solar system are thought to have brought our oceans, to some extent. And meteorites have been found on earth that are thought to have originated as Martian crustal rocks displaced by cosmic collisions. So it seems plausible that natural processes cause astronomical objects in general to exchange material, some of which may either be living or have a significant effect on the later development of life.

Organic materials such as amino acids form spontaneously in interstellar gas and dust.

And recent developments in DNA technology suggest that the ultimate form of creatures depends more on the demands made by their ecological niche than previously assumed. So the human form could be a universal response to the demands made on us by our planet (this is a familiar science fiction theme BTW ).

[billy]

i'd think that at least a few species if not exact,
would at least have a resemblance to us.
i'd also think that if the life form was carbon based and of the double helix
we'd also see many animals similar to those on our planet.
of course i'd presume it would occur on a similar planet with similar
gravity, atmosphere, and chemical make up