Skip to comments.
Monstrous Cosmic Gas Cloud Set To Ignite The Milky Way
Fores ^
| 28 Jan, 2016
| Ethan Siegel
Posted on 01/29/2016 12:59:16 PM PST by MtnClimber
There are hundreds of high-velocity gas clouds moving at hundreds of km/s through the outskirts of our galaxy, mostly in stable orbits that keep them out of the galactic plane. They're typically irregularly shaped, thousands of light years across, and contain many millions of times the mass of our Sun. However, one such cloud, known as the "Smith Cloud" (above), is very different from all the others. It's much more distant, and it's moving towards us incredibly rapidly: at about 310 km/s, or around 700,000 miles per hour. And when I say it's moving towards us, it's projected to collide at extreme velocities with the disk of our galaxy in about 30 million years: a long time for a human, but a very short time for our galaxy. (For comparison, it takes our Sun about 200 million years to complete a single orbit around our galactic center.) Here's how we found this out.
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
TOPICS: Science
KEYWORDS: astronomy; catastrophism; forbes; smithcloud; smithscloud; uranus
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-40, 41-48 next last
To: MtnClimber
2
posted on
01/29/2016 12:59:48 PM PST
by
MtnClimber
(For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
To: MtnClimber
3
posted on
01/29/2016 1:01:14 PM PST
by
BenLurkin
(The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
To: MtnClimber
Let's keep this discussion on sober, mature grounds.
He who smelt it, dealt it.
To: MtnClimber
“it’s projected to collide at extreme velocities with the disk of our galaxy in about 30 million years:”
30 Million years?
WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE!
5
posted on
01/29/2016 1:01:52 PM PST
by
spel_grammer_an_punct_polise
(Why does every totalitarian, political hack think that he knows how to run my life better than I?)
To: MtnClimber
"WE'RE DOOMED!"
6
posted on
01/29/2016 1:02:01 PM PST
by
Bloody Sam Roberts
(Why do we give our hearts to the past? And why must we grow up so fast?)
To: Billthedrill
He who smelt it, dealt it. He who denied it supplied it.
7
posted on
01/29/2016 1:02:41 PM PST
by
Bloody Sam Roberts
(Why do we give our hearts to the past? And why must we grow up so fast?)
To: MtnClimber
Well MrD has been quite active lately but I don't think he is to blame for this.
(No I didn't read it, I don't need anymore bad or confusing news right now.)
8
posted on
01/29/2016 1:03:01 PM PST
by
Ditter
(God Bless Texas!)
To: MtnClimber
9
posted on
01/29/2016 1:04:50 PM PST
by
b4its2late
(A Liberal is a person who will give away everything he doesn't own.)
To: spel_grammer_an_punct_polise
“Our sun will go nova in about 49 billion years.”
“Oh, my god! What are we going to do? What do I tell the kids?”
“Relax, man, 49 billion years is a long time.”
“Forty-nine billion? Whew. I thought you say 49 MILLION!’
10
posted on
01/29/2016 1:06:11 PM PST
by
sparklite2
( "The white man is the Jew of Liberal Fascism." -Jonah Goldberg)
To: MtnClimber
11
posted on
01/29/2016 1:07:10 PM PST
by
b4its2late
(A Liberal is a person who will give away everything he doesn't own.)
To: All
To: MtnClimber
Finally the rival candidate to Sweet Meteor O' Death has arrived.
13
posted on
01/29/2016 1:09:33 PM PST
by
abishai
To: MtnClimber
It’s condensed around Uranus.
14
posted on
01/29/2016 1:10:41 PM PST
by
KC_Lion
(I think it is obvious, feminism stops where Islam begins.)
To: MtnClimber
This sounds worse than greyhound gas.
15
posted on
01/29/2016 1:15:10 PM PST
by
aomagrat
(Gun owners who vote for democrats are too stupid to own guns.)
To: MtnClimber; All
It's name is TRUMP!
16
posted on
01/29/2016 1:18:14 PM PST
by
notdownwidems
(Washington DC has become the enemy of free people everywhere)
To: MtnClimber
17
posted on
01/29/2016 1:20:20 PM PST
by
Drumbo
("Democracy can withstand anything but democrats." - Jubal Harshaw (Robert A. Heinlein))
To: MtnClimber
2 Peter 3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
18
posted on
01/29/2016 1:21:31 PM PST
by
Jan_Sobieski
(Sanctification)
To: All
In before the Michael Moore reference
19
posted on
01/29/2016 1:21:38 PM PST
by
Squidpup
("Fight the Good Fight of Faith")
To: MtnClimber
I’m sure that before the 30 Million years are up, the EPA will have outlawed the Smith Cloud.....
20
posted on
01/29/2016 1:22:00 PM PST
by
G Larry
(ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS impose SLAVE WAGES on LEGAL Immigrants.)
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-40, 41-48 next last
Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson
