Galaxy crash sparks large spiral

[dipsydoodle]

Astronomers have spotted the largest known spiral galaxy - by accident.



A team was looking through data from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (Galex) satellite for star-forming regions around a galaxy called NGC 6872.

But they were shocked to see a vast swathe of ultraviolet light from young stars, indicating that the galaxy is actually big enough to accommodate five of our Milky Way galaxies within it.

The find was reported at the American Astronomical Society meeting in the US.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20981994

[Glassunion]

1. I find the first sentence amusing.

Don't most astronomers find stuff by accident? Sure they have goals and expectations, but they rarely find what they are looking for, exactly where they are looking for it.

They are the pioneers in our modern era, most pioneers did not set out with specific goals to discover half the things they found. That why we call them discoveries not finderies.

[Victor_c3]

2. Great point. True and funny. n/t

[Glassunion]

5. It's like Lewis and Clark. They had a goal: Get to the Pacific Ocean via a northwest passage.

But how many species did they discover? How many new plants were they able to document? How many new maps did they record?

I can only imagine how many times they turned a bend or crested a hill to exclain "What the f*** is that!?!?"

[DemoTex]

3. The Accidental Scientist

Sounds like a great book title!

[Scuba]

4. Then you might enjoy this ...

http://www.amazon.com/Accidental-Empires-Silicon-Millions-Competition/dp/0887308554

[libodem]

6. cool

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

7. Isaac Asimov said

"The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' but rather, 'Hmm... that's funny...'"

[samsingh]

8. kick

[DreamGypsy]

9. Beautiful. I wonder how Andromeda and the Milky Way will look ....

...after their collision, which will begin in ~4 billion years?

I think I'll set up a lawn chair in the back yard and wait.


Ah, better yet, here's a NASA simulation: