Bar at Milky Way's heart revealed

New Scientist ^ | 8/16/05 | Maggie McKee

[Soul Seeker]

Yes.

[LouD]

42.

[RightWhale]

what is the actual significance of this finding?

It's actually confirmation rather than finding.

[LouD]

GMTA - But I actually managed to do it on Post #42 ;-)

[OSHA]

I think we're only allowed to post "OOOHHH" or "AHHHH" or speculate on the angular momentum of the bar.

Please respect the sanctity of this thread. NO HUMOR!

[hophead]

"So what is the actual significance of this finding?"


This is the answer we have all been looking for. Now we know why space aliens have been visiting this outpost of the universe. We are the only galaxy with a bar. Thay have been coming here asking for directions.

[TitansAFC]

27,000 light years across.

---sigh---

27,000 years at the maximum possible speed in the universe.

So much we'll never get to explore.

Hell---it'll take forever just to get communications 1/27th of the way across (1000 years!!!!)

[Darkwolf377]

World's worst mall map.

[AntiGuv]

Our galaxy is definitely amongst the more impressive in the universe, and I'd imagine functions as very popular desktop wallpaper on many a far-off planet. The Magellanic civilizations have an especially nice view, and probably even some very interesting apocalyptic myths about when we're gonna suck them in to their fiery doom. =)

[TomT in NJ]

42 = 6 X 9 (in base 13)

[El Gato]

A bar! Fantastic. Wonder how the drinks are- bet the prices are terrible but there's lots of parking!

And as at many earthside bars, there's a black hole in there waiting to gobble up the unwary.

[knews_hound]

I'll take a gargleblaster to go.

Cheers,

knews hound

http://knewshound.blogspot.com/

[Darkwolf377]

Arthur C. Clarke wrote a great essay called something like "We Will Never Conquer The Stars," about how the sheer size of it all means we are pretty much stuck here. One interesting bit, used often by SF writers before him, is how any generation starships going out there will have no connection to Earth after a generation.

Of course give Rosie O'Donnell a few more cheesecakes and she'll turn into a black hole and draw the rest of the galaxy closer...

[Covenantor]

...Looks like the Greeks enjoyed a little homebrew hooch

Not to mention having the makings of the

first BBQ grill...brew and BBQ, life was good.

[Fester Chugabrew]

[I see my hands]

Step One: Rotating Ball.

Step Two:

Step Three: Profit.

[RightWhale]

OTOH, if we are alone, as we appear to be, nobody but us cares that our home galaxy is the most impressive one for millions of light-years in any direction. We care because we need to feel part of something important somehow.

[GallopingGhost]

So what is the actual significance of this finding?

My (very amateur) guess is that whatever the very massive object is at the center of our galaxy, it is probably binary. Perhaps it is a pair of black holes or perhaps something yet to be discovered. That would account for the eliptical orbits of the stars closest to the center. Just a guess.

[Covenantor]

I wander onto to this thread out of curiosity. I'm sure there must be a ping list somewhere. Try searching keyword "space"

[OSHA]

The real deal