Some more questions please?

'Lo again all...

I'm still trying to finish up my research on the galaxy itself...

Could anyone offer if these items I've been able to track down
so far are correct, with a source too please?

Distance to galaxy core : 25,000 LY

Distance to rim of galaxy : 12000 LY

Thickness of galaxy at earth's position : 1500 LY ( due north towards
Polaris)

Distance from our Galaxy to closest other galaxy : 130,000 LY

Are these correct?

--
Jim

Jim Rudnick
KKT INTERACTIVE
www.kkti.com

KKT INTERACTIVE posted:

'Lo again all...

I'm still trying to finish up my research on the galaxy itself...

Could anyone offer if these items I've been able to track down
so far are correct, with a source too please?

Distance to galaxy core : 25,000 LY

That's probably fairly close. The last distance measurement I saw indicated a
distance of about 8 kiloparsecs (26,000 light years) which was done via radio
parallax at the Very Large Array.

Distance to rim of galaxy : 12000 LY

Well, the galaxy's rim is not a well-defined region of space. It is thought
that the disk of the galaxy has a radius of about 50,000 light years or so.
Thus, we are probably closer to 25,000 light years from "the rim" than 12,000.

Thickness of galaxy at earth's position : 1500 LY ( due north towards
Polaris)

This is a rough approximation, as it is difficult to give an exact figure (and
the direction of the galactic pole is not towards Polaris, but is in the
constellation of Coma Berenices not far from the direction of the 5th
magnitude star 31 Comae Berenices).

Distance from our Galaxy to closest other galaxy : 130,000 LY

Well, the Milky Way galaxy is gobbling up a small galaxy which is roughly on
the other side of our galaxy (the Sagittarius dwarf at about 80,000 light
years distant), but other than this one, the nearest one is probably the Large
Magellanic Cloud. It is an irregular galaxy about 50 kiloparsecs or 163,000
light years away (source of information, RASC Observer's Handbook). Clear
skies to you.

--
David W. Knisely
Prairie Astronomy Club: http://www.prairieastronomyclub.org
Hyde Memorial Observatory: http://www.hydeobservatory.info/

**********************************************
* Attend the 11th Annual NEBRASKA STAR PARTY *
* July 18-23, 2004, Merritt Reservoir *
* http://www.NebraskaStarParty.org *
**********************************************

KKT INTERACTIVE posted:

'Lo again all...

I'm still trying to finish up my research on the galaxy itself...

Could anyone offer if these items I've been able to track down
so far are correct, with a source too please?

Distance to galaxy core : 25,000 LY

That's probably fairly close. The last distance measurement I saw indicated a
distance of about 8 kiloparsecs (26,000 light years) which was done via radio
parallax at the Very Large Array.

Distance to rim of galaxy : 12000 LY

Well, the galaxy's rim is not a well-defined region of space. It is thought
that the disk of the galaxy has a radius of about 50,000 light years or so.
Thus, we are probably closer to 25,000 light years from "the rim" than 12,000.

Thickness of galaxy at earth's position : 1500 LY ( due north towards
Polaris)

This is a rough approximation, as it is difficult to give an exact figure (and
the direction of the galactic pole is not towards Polaris, but is in the
constellation of Coma Berenices not far from the direction of the 5th
magnitude star 31 Comae Berenices).

Distance from our Galaxy to closest other galaxy : 130,000 LY

Well, the Milky Way galaxy is gobbling up a small galaxy which is roughly on
the other side of our galaxy (the Sagittarius dwarf at about 80,000 light
years distant), but other than this one, the nearest one is probably the Large
Magellanic Cloud. It is an irregular galaxy about 50 kiloparsecs or 163,000
light years away (source of information, RASC Observer's Handbook). Clear
skies to you.

--
David W. Knisely
Prairie Astronomy Club: http://www.prairieastronomyclub.org
Hyde Memorial Observatory: http://www.hydeobservatory.info/

**********************************************
* Attend the 11th Annual NEBRASKA STAR PARTY *
* July 18-23, 2004, Merritt Reservoir *
* http://www.NebraskaStarParty.org *
**********************************************