Distant Galexy ?

Ask questions, find resources, browse the virtual shelves.
Post Reply
rdhutson
Asternaut
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Feb 25, 2011 1:22 am

Distant Galexy ?

Post by rdhutson » Fri Feb 25, 2011 1:39 am

Somebody please explain this to me.The Milky Way is 100k light years across.Our neighbor ,Adromeda is 200k light years across. With Adromeda being only 2 and 1/2 light years from us it has proven hard to imagine these figures to all be somewhat correct. If you stack these two very large bodys together, then seperate them by only 2 and 1/2 light years ,it seems that Adromeda would/ should be far more dominate in our sky.How close would one be for Adromeda at 200 LY across for that view to domionate our night sky?

User avatar
neufer
Vacationer at Tralfamadore
Posts: 18805
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 1:57 pm
Location: Alexandria, Virginia

Re: Distant Galexy ?

Post by neufer » Fri Feb 25, 2011 2:06 am

rdhutson wrote:Somebody please explain this to me.The Milky Way is 100k light years across.Our neighbor ,Andromeda is 200k light years across. With Adromeda being only 2 and 1/2 light years from us it has proven hard to imagine these figures to all be somewhat correct. If you stack these two very large bodys together, then seperate them by only 2 and 1/2 light years ,it seems that Adromeda would/ should be far more dominate in our sky.How close would one be for Adromeda at 200 LY across for that view to domionate our night sky?
Andromeda is 141 ± 3 kly wide
and 2,540 ± 60 kly distant.
Art Neuendorffer

User avatar
BMAONE23
Commentator Model 1.23
Posts: 4076
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2005 6:55 pm
Location: California

Re: Distant Galexy ?

Post by BMAONE23 » Fri Feb 25, 2011 6:08 pm

Andromeda is 2 and 1/2 Million light years away

User avatar
Beyond
500 Gigaderps
Posts: 6889
Joined: Tue Aug 04, 2009 11:09 am
Location: BEYONDER LAND

Re: Distant Galexy ?

Post by Beyond » Fri Feb 25, 2011 8:25 pm

Two million, five hundred and forty thousand kly((kly being the distance that light travels in a thousand year period))is two thousand, five hundred and forty, times one thousand, which equals two million five hundred and forty thousand, give or take 60 kly, which is sixty times one thousand, which equals 60,000 light years. Therefore, Andromeda is between two million four hundred and eighty thousand light years away and three million light years away.

Isn't 2540 +/- 60kly distant easier to say? YES, it is, but not as much fun as trying to keep the words straight!

And speaking of words -- Who spelled Galaxy -->Galexy??
To find the Truth, you must go Beyond.

User avatar
bystander
Apathetic Retiree
Posts: 21577
Joined: Mon Aug 28, 2006 2:06 pm
Location: Oklahoma

Re: Distant Galaxy ?

Post by bystander » Fri Feb 25, 2011 9:06 pm

Beyond wrote:Isn't 2540 +/- 60kly distant easier to say?
I don't know that it's easier to say, you would say it the same. It is easier to write.
not as much fun as trying to keep the words straight!
And you didn't succeed! You started on the wrong foot. :D :wink:
Two million, five hundred and forty thousand kly
Should be
Two million, five hundred forty thousand ly
or
Two thousand, five hundred forty kly

Note: and indicates a decimal point, e.g. 2.54 is two and fifty four hundredths.
Know the quiet place within your heart and touch the rainbow of possibility; be
alive to the gentle breeze of communication, and please stop being such a jerk.
— Garrison Keillor

User avatar
Beyond
500 Gigaderps
Posts: 6889
Joined: Tue Aug 04, 2009 11:09 am
Location: BEYONDER LAND

Re: Distant Galexy ?

Post by Beyond » Sat Feb 26, 2011 3:27 am

THAT's why i said the the 'short' version is easier!
#1- I can't spel worth a darn.
#2- i can't tipe.
#3- covers all the 'missteaks' that come from #'s 1 & 2.
#4- Well, at least i spelled Galaxy rite.
To find the Truth, you must go Beyond.

Post Reply