Astronomers Find Nearest Galaxy To The Milky Way

[Shyriath]

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/spaceart-03g.html

An international team of astronomers from France, Italy, the UK and Australia has found a previously unknown galaxy colliding with our own Milky Way.

This newly-discovered galaxy takes the record for the nearest galaxy to the centre of the Milky Way. Called the Canis Major dwarf galaxy after the constellation in which it lies, it is about 25000 light years away from thesolar system and 42000 light years from the centre of the Milky Way.

This is closer than the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy, discovered in 1994, which is also colliding with the Milky Way. The discovery shows that the Milky Way is building up its own disk by absorbing small satellite galaxies. The research is to be published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society within the next few weeks.

Which proves, once again, that the Universe is filled with wonders even in our own cosmic neighborhood (and that the Milky Way cannot drive worth a damn).

[Faygo Kid]

1. Thanks. Who knew?

I assume we are unable to see it because of its proximity to the galactic disk. Is this more evidence that the Earth is more than 4,500 years old? Don't tell the Freepers.

[Shyriath]

3. Eh, go ahead and tell 'em.

Who needs more evidence? There's more than enough... anyone who isn't convinced by now probably won't be ever.

[DeathvadeR]

2. looks like its gonna get bumpy in the near future.

How in gods name was this over looked? or was it?

[Shyriath]

4. "Bumpy" is a relative term in galactic collisions...

It wasn't known before now mostly because there was a thick dust cloud in the way; it took a certain infrared wavelength to have a look through it and see what was on the other side.

I wouldn't worry overmuch, though. Galactic collisions, as far as I know, while having spectacular effects on the galaxies as whole entities, don't affect a whole lot on our level... galaxies consist mostly of empty space, after all, so the actual stars wouldn't collide often (though they could pass close enough to disturb planetary orbits).

Best of all for us, it's... I think the article said 45,000 light-years away. So the collision is taking place at least a quarter of the way around the galactic disk, and the Milky Way's rotation won't take our solar system that far for many many millions of years yet.