Milky Way is colliding with another galaxy...

[cprise]

SNIP
In 1994, UK astronomers discovered a small galaxy just on the other side of our Milky Way galaxy, about to swallowed up by its larger neighbour.

Since then it has become clear that this Sagittarius dwarf galaxy, as it is been called, is actually orbiting over the poles of our own galaxy, with long streams of stars preceding and trailing the main body.

It was when dark matter expert Katherine Freese, from the University of Michigan, heard astronomer Heidi Jo Newberg, from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, talk about these so-called tidal streams that an explanation for the puzzling seasonal Dama Wimp result started to crystallise.

SNIP
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3573041.stm

[Roaming]

1. Cool to see some women experts in this field

[DarkPhenyx]

15. *grumble*

Concentrate on the important information and try not to focus n the distractors. So they are women, good for them. First and formost they are scientists, and ones of high caliber.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

2. Only Bush can save us...

From this terra that is this Sagittarius dwarf galaxy.

[Renew Deal]

4. Are we on Red Black Hole alert?

[mac1000a]

14. LOL

Good one!

[dave29]

3. One of the interesting things

is that dark matter from this galaxy is currently streaming through our own solar system.

Duck!

[cprise]

6. Indeed. And more than that

... to a far-off observer, our galaxy looks like one of those dramatic, elaborate galaxies with streamers of stars surrounding it; like one of the more interesting specimens you'd see in the Hubble image.


Reminds me of the Tadpole Galaxy.

[pmbryant]

10. Our galaxy is a fairly typical spiral galaxy

The Milky Way may be 'colliding' with other galaxies, but they are all very small and so do not significantly distort the spiral shape of our galaxy. The tidal features (e.g., long streamers) caused by these collisions are very faint and barely detectable.

The galaxies that you have pictured are galaxies of nearly-equal size colliding with each other, and in the process, drawing out those very prominent and dramatic long streams of stars, gas, and dust.

Our galaxy does not look like that. It's spiral structure has been mapped and resembles very much many typical spiral galaxies we see.

Beautiful, anyway, of course!

And also, IIRC, it is believed that minor galaxy collisions like this can play a role in the formation and maintenance of spiral structure in the first place.

--Peter

[dave29]

12. Thats one of my favorite

Hubble shots of all spacetime ;)

[jus_the_facts]

7. GASP....it's why we're stuck in THE TWILIGHT ZONE....

.....and are bein' force fed....TALES FROM THE DARK SIDE...AND TALES FROM THE CRYPT...all wrapped in happiness and light....d0oomdid d0omd0om do0o0oo0oo0oom! :crazy:

[EstimatedProphet]

5. Undoubtedly it's Clinton's fault

Like all things are Clinton's fault-the SF Earthquake in the late 80's, Krakatoa, Vesuvius, kids not wanting to go to bed...
Sorry, I'm in a snarky mood today

[On the Road]

8. It's Raining WIMPS from Beyond the Galaxy!

[zbdent]

9. LEFT! I SAID TURN LEFT!

Not Right!

[cryofan]

11. I hope this won't cause our insurance policy rates to go up!

What is the deductible on our policy?

[phantom power]

13. the difficulty with these galactic collisions

is that it's so hard to scream "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" for fifty-million years at a time.