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Skidmore

(37,364 posts) Mon Jun 3, 2013, 03:29 PM Jun 2013

DU astronomers, a Milky Way question. [View all]

I've been seeing lots of photographs of the Milky Way at night from different locations in the world. When we see a picture of the galaxy it appears as a long strip of stars across the sky. Are we on earth viewing the MW from its side? If you flipped what we see around would it appear more like the traditional record like disk with a defined center?

Might be a stupid question but one that came to mind as I've been looking at these pictures. What would it look like from another vantage point than ours? Do we know?

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DU astronomers, a Milky Way question. [View all] Skidmore Jun 2013 OP

It might look like a strand of DNA? kentuck Jun 2013 #1

When you see the galaxy in the sky Drale Jun 2013 #2

So we are seeing the outer edge and not the center? Skidmore Jun 2013 #4

Its the outer edge Drale Jun 2013 #8

Depends on the time of year jberryhill Jun 2013 #12

Nicely done. wandy Jun 2013 #32

simulation of where the Sun is in the Galaxy looking down SteveG Jun 2013 #35

You are looking into the center. Which is blocked by a lot of star formation. Gravitycollapse Jun 2013 #38

I was always told laundry_queen Jun 2013 #3

http://science.howstuffworks.com/milky-way.htm jbond56 Jun 2013 #5

Yes. Our vantage point is "edge on" looking toward the galactic center. opiate69 Jun 2013 #6

Disclaimer: I'm not an astronomer. immoderate Jun 2013 #7

See this image: MineralMan Jun 2013 #9

It's not stars that block our view of the galactic center, its dust. opiate69 Jun 2013 #13

You're right, of course. MineralMan Jun 2013 #15

Yup.. at least until we get that warp drive figured out .. opiate69 Jun 2013 #18

I thought there was big ol' black hole in the center? ismnotwasm Jun 2013 #31

Right you are... opiate69 Jun 2013 #33

I can see my house, and me, right there! NYC_SKP Jun 2013 #14

Did you check the Galactic Street View? MineralMan Jun 2013 #16

Google! NYC_SKP Jun 2013 #23

Very cool! kentuck Jun 2013 #19

We are inside the Milky Way, so that's our perspective. longship Jun 2013 #10

What always gets me is that a lot of the stars we "see" are long dead and gone. Tierra_y_Libertad Jun 2013 #11

... and we can't see all the newly born stars yet. JustABozoOnThisBus Jun 2013 #22

Not necessarily so - at least if you're talking about naked eye stars.. opiate69 Jun 2013 #24

Ah, but to know that what you are viewing ocurred 2-4,000 years past does really bettyellen Jun 2013 #27

Agreed, wholeheartedly! opiate69 Jun 2013 #29

Yup, when you look at Andromeda Galaxy...aka messier 31 roamer65 Jun 2013 #34

Maybe a few, but not a lot. roamer65 Jun 2013 #37

Anything to do with space is cool. CrispyQ Jun 2013 #17

gen answer to thread- you are seeing multiple arms throughout the year. roamer65 Jun 2013 #30

A coincidence that you should ask this question today...we just got an upgrade... DreamGypsy Jun 2013 #20

We are about 26,000 light yrs for the center and about 100,000 light yrs from the edge. ladjf Jun 2013 #21

Actually the diameter of the Milky Way is 100 to 120 K light years... DreamGypsy Jun 2013 #28

This message was self-deleted by its author CrispyQ Jun 2013 #25

This has all the pertinent details Cronus Protagonist Jun 2013 #26

We are viewing the galaxy from one of the spiral arms. The brightest spot is the center... Gravitycollapse Jun 2013 #36

In July, look south to the constellation Sagittarius "The teapot". roamer65 Jun 2013 #41

A fine candy choice. Chocolate, caramel and something sort of fluffy yet solid. DonRedwood Jun 2013 #39

This message was self-deleted by its author Katashi_itto Jun 2013 #40