So,we're located in a minor spiral in our galaxy.

[Swede]

Not even one of the big ones. Talk about the hinterlands.

The Orion Arm is a minor spiral arm of the Milky Way galaxy. The Solar System and Earth are within the Orion Arm. It is also referred to as the Local Arm, the Local Spur or the Orion Spur.



http://media.skyandtelescope.com/images/MilkyWay+new+med.jpg

[Captain Angry]

1. I would like to be stupid rich someday.

And one of the things I want to do is buy billboards and put stuff like that on it with the message that says "We are all here ---> X"

Try to get across the point that as different as we all seem sometimes, we're all the same family. If we ever meet sentient life from another place in the galaxy, it would make Earth seem a lot smaller.

Thanks for posting that.

[billyoc]

2. I'd like to retire there.

[lapfog_1]

3. According to the authoritative travel guide to the galaxy

(that would be HGTTG), our little planet now rates TWO WHOLE WORDS of description...

"Mostly Harmless"

[Sonicmedusa]

4. And I think to myself

"What a wonderful world."

[comtec]

5. I love the bit in the book "You are here!" and it drives them insane!

a black dot on a black background around a barely visible, dim sun.
god we are insignificant!

[Esra Star]

7. I like this photo for relativity

I am sure you can work out what's what.
Photo taken by the Cassini platform





OK, I just looked. The earth/moon is that little speck above left of Saturn.
NASA put a close-up in the corner.

[Indenturedebtor]

6. Seems like a good spot! I bet a lot of messy stuff happens in that galactic bar

Stuff that's best avoided for sure :hide:

[frogmarch]

8. Thanks for posting this!

Awesome!

Till now, I'd always thought our solar system was closer to the outer edge of the Milky Way than it's shown to be on the map.

[Odin2005]

9. Wonderful image.

Ever since I was a kid I thought barred spirals were the coolest-looking kind of galaxy, so I was thrilled when I read that the Milky Way was found to have a central bar. This is the fist artistic rendering of our galaxy that shows the bar quite prominently. I am also surprised by how wimpy the Sagittarius Arm is (that's the part of the Milky Way you see in the summer, lots of nebulae and star clusters there) compared to the Perseus Arm (which is what you see in the winter.