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Richard Hanes Astro 475W 1/05/14 Final Project Collectively, gala ies are considered to !e the largest o!

jects in the "niverse# $hese o!jects contain !illions and !illions stars and are o%ten the %oc"s o% the research o% astrono&ers all over the 'orld# (t"dies o% gala ies have revealed that they co&e in di%%erent sha)es and si*es, and )eo)le li+e H"!!le have created classi%ication sche&es in order to organi*e the&# ,"r o'n -il+y Way .ala y is %airly di%%ic"lt to analy*e, ho'ever, as 'e do not have a direct vie' o% it since 'e are sit"ated inside o% it# ,ther gala ies are e/"ally di%%ic"lt to analy*e as they are tho"sands o% )arsecs a'ay and are so vis"ally s&all that resolving s)eci%ic details a!o"t the& is nigh i&)ossi!le, and that0s ass"&ing that they are %acing "s# Co&)ared to all the other gala ies, the Andro&eda gala y is the &ost easily seen and st"died co&)ared to &ost other gala ies# 1ocated 'ithin the 1ocal .ro") o% gala ies, the Andro&eda and -il+y Way are the largest gala ies in the area# $his &a+es these t'o gala ies the !ig si!lings o% the 1ocal .ro") %a&ily o% gala ies# 2eca"se 'e live in the -il+y Way, and the Andro&eda is so close and large, the Andro&eda is generally the go to gala y 'hen it co&es to co&)aring the -il+y Way .ala y to other gala ies# As it t"rns o"t, the Andro&eda gala y isn3t too "nli+e the -il+y Way .ala y 'hen it co&es to si*e and str"ct"re# Milky Way Galaxy As &entioned !e%ore, st"dying the str"ct"re o% the .ala y has )roved to !e a di%%ic"lt endeavor# (ince 'e0re located 'ithin the .ala y, things li+e interstellar d"st, ne!"lae, and si&ilar o!jects o!sc"re o"r vie' o% the stars 'ithin o"r gala y as they a!sor! light directed to'ards the 4arth as it travels thro"gh the&# With it !eing so di%%ic"lt to create a &odel to st"dy the str"ct"re o% the -il+y Way, it co&es to no s"r)rise that it too+ h"ndreds o% years %or the &odel o% the -il+y Way .ala y to evolve into its &odern %or&# A%ter .alileo discovered the &oons aro"nd 5")iter, the rotating do&es and s)heres theory o% the "niverse tr"ly !egan to cr"&!le# He started to reali*e that the .ala y 'as a collection o% individ"al stars 678# 9t 'as 9&&an"el :ant and $ho&as Wright that develo)ed the idea o% a gala y 'ith a stellar dis+ and that the (olar (yste& 'as only a single co&)onent in the dis+ 678# 9n the 17;03s, Willia& Herschel, the discoverer o% <ran"s, created a &a) o% the -il+y Way# $o do this, he resorted to co"nting the n"&!er o% stars that he co"ld see in a series o% s"!sections o% the s+y# ="ring the analysis, he &ade

%o"r ass"&)tions> all stars essentially have the sa&e l"&inosity the n"&!er density 6n8 o% stars in the gala y is ro"ghly constant there is nothing in the interstellar &edi"& that co"ld o!sc"re vision o% the stars he co"ld see to the edge o% the .ala y 678

When he %inished, he created a &a) that loo+ed li+e the one !elo', 'ith the ("n )ositioned in the center o% the .ala y#

We +no' today that this is not 'hat the .ala y loo+s li+e and that the (olar (yste& is not in the center o% it# 2rea+ing do'n his ass"&)tions, 'hich 'ere "nderstanda!le at the ti&e, 'e can "nderstand 'hy his concl"sion &issed the &ar+# (tars have varying l"&inosity, s)anning over orders o% &agnit"de di%%erence (tars are &ore cl"stered aro"nd the center o% the .ala y, and 'itho"t +no'ing this, the only logical location o% the ("n 'o"ld !e in the center 6?8# 9nterstellar d"st o%ten )revents vision o% all +inds o% o!jects# 9n %act, it3s one o% the !iggest h"rdles that &odern astrono&ers %ace# Harlo' (ha)ley and 5aco!"s :a)teyn also atte&)ted to &a+e &a)s and &odels o% the -il+y Way .ala y too 678# :a)teyn "sed a &ore so)histicated star co"nting &ethod, !"t still )rod"ced a heliocentric &odel# (ha)ley &anaged to )"sh the ("n to'ards the edge o% the .ala y, !"t still &issed the &ar+ in ter&s o% .ala y di&ensions 678# While ste)s in the right direction, !oth &en %ailed to ta+e into acco"nt the e tinction o% light as it traveled thro"gh the interstellar &edi"& and its e%%ect on o"r )erce)tion o% distances to stars 678# (ince then 'e3ve develo)ed a &"ch !etter &odel o% the gala y in 'hich 'e live, ho'ever, it is still changing# With stronger telesco)es than the )ast, 'e can resolve other gala ies, 'hich 'e can "se to hel) deter&ine 'hat o"r o'n gala y &ight loo+ li+e# ,"r c"rrent &odel o% the -il+y Way .ala y

de)icts a !arred s)iral gala y, 'ith a galactic dis+ s"rro"nding a large central !"lge# 9n ter&s o% n"&!er o% ar&s, a very recent st"dy sho'ed s"%%icient evidence to s"ggest %o"r s)iral ar&s in the -il+y Way gala y, 'hich is di%%erent %ro& the t'o that have !een the acce)ted nor& 678# C"rrent &eas"re&ents ty)ically stretch the .ala y o"t to an average o% 50 +)c in dia&eter# Ho'ever, the !"lge in the center o% the gala y has a radi"s o% 0#7 +)c according to star co"nt data %ro& the 9n%raRed Astrono&ical (atellite 678# $he ("n is generally )laced at ; +)c %ro& the center o% the .ala y, 'hich is %o"nd in the constellation o% (agitari"s in the ecli)tic )lane# 9n the i&age, 'e see an artist3s de)iction %ro& ?005 o% the -il+y Way 'ith its t'o 6+no'n8 ar&s and !ar# 9t also &ar+s the location o% the ("n 'ith res)ect to the rest o% the .ala y# 678 $he .alactic dis+ o% the -il+y Way is !ro+en into t'o di%%erent )arts> the thin dis+ and the thic+ dis+# $he thin+ dis+ is %illed 'ith &ostly yo"nger stars, d"st and gas, and it is only a!o"t 750 )c thic+, altho"gh it is thinner in so&e )laces# $he thic+ dis+ is %illed 'ith older stars and is a!o"t 1000 )c thic+# Altho"gh the thic+ dis+ is thic+er than the thin dis+, its n"&!er density o% stars is only a!o"t ;#5@ o% that o% the thin dis+# 678 648 $he -il+y Way .ala y, overall, contains a!o"t a %e' h"ndred !illion stars 678# 9t3s di%%ic"lt to ascertain the e act n"&!er o% stars !eca"se it is i&)ossi!le to see or co"nt the& all# With so &any stars, it is easy to "nderstand 'hy the -il+y Way has a total &ass over one trillion solar &asses, 'hich incl"des interstellar d"st, gas, )lanetary o!jects, and 'hatever else is in the .ala y# Also, a &"ltiA &illion solar &ass s")er&assive !lac+ hole resides in the center o% the .ala y 6B8# Andromeda Galaxy $he -il+y Way3s sister gala y, the Andro&eda, can !e %o"nd in the Andro&eda constellation# ,riginally tho"ght to !e a co&et, Charles -essier cataloged it as -71, the 71st o!ject he added to the catalog# 9t has since then !een dee&ed a gala y# 2ec"ase o% its )ro i&ity, a!o"t 77; +)c, and its si*e, &ore than t'ice the radi"s o% -il+y Way .ala y, it is one o% the !rightest and &ost distant o!jects in o"r night s+y 618 6?8#

2eca"se it is s"ch a &assive o!ject, it is di%%ic"lt to deter&ine the e act &ass o% the Andro&eda gala y# -eas"re&ents range %ro& 7 C 1011 - to 1#? C101? - 6;8# Co&)ared to the -il+y Way, the Andro&eda is /"ite a !it larger, !"t &ight not !e as &assive as the -il+y Way# $his is li+ely d"e to the )ossi!ility o% the -il+y Way having &ore dar+ &atter than the Andro&eda# $he Andro&eda gala y is a s)iral gala y, li+e o"r o'n .ala y# 9n contrast, ho'ever, the Andro&eda does not have a central !ar li+e the -il+y Way 618# 9n the H"!!le classi%ication syste&, -71 is considered to !e a (! gala y, 'hich &eans it is a s)iral gala y 'ith &ildly 'ra))ed ar&s# $he -il+y Way, is considered to !e (2! or (2c, 'hich &eans that it is !arred s)iral gala y 'ith loosly 'ra))ed ar&s# An interesting thing a!o"t the Andro&eda gala y is the )resence o% 'hat see&s to !e a do"!le n"cleo"sD one &"ch larger than the other# $here are a co")le o% )ossi!ilities %or the occ"rrence o% this galactic center# ,ne is that it is the res"lt o% a star cl"ster !eing cons"&ed !y the center o% the gala y# Another is that it is the re&nant o% a d'ar% gala y that the Andro&eda collided 'ith !illions o% years ago # Within this do"!le n"cleo"s lies a B C 107 - s")er&assive !lac+ hole 'hich is centered in the %ainter n"cleo"s o% the t'o 6?8# Also, there are seven !lac+ hole candidates located 'ithin 1000 ly o% the center o% the gala y# $his is &ore than the -il+y Way, !"t can !e attri!"ted to the larger central !"lge that the Andro&eda gala y has 658# As a large o!ject, there is evidence that there are satellite gala ies or!iting the Andro&eda gala y# $'o o% the &ost 'ell +no'n satellites are -7? and -110 6?8# 9n ?00B, it 'as anno"nced that E gala ies 'ithin a &illion lightyears o% the gala y lay on a FsheetG that )asses )er)endic"larly thro"gh the center o% the gala y 618# Also, there is evidence that so&e o% these gala ies have collided 'ith or )assed to closely to the Andro&eda# For e a&)le, $riang"l"&, or -77, has a 'ar)ed dis+, 'hich s"ggests that it had an enco"nter 'ith -71 a!o"t ?#5 !illion years ago# 9n a!o"t ? !illion years %ro& no', &odels indicate that there 'ill !e a &ore violent collision !et'een the t'o 618# $he -il+y Way .ala y also has a si&ilar FsheetG and !attle scars %ro& collisions 'ith other gala ies 618# $hese s&aller gala ies are not the only victi&s o% the larger -il+y Way and Andro&eda# .iven %o"r !illion years, the t'o large gala ies are e )ected to collide 'ith each other 618# $his 'ill ri) !oth gala ies a)art and 'ar) their dis+s as the &old to the gravitational %ields )assing !y each other# 2eca"se there is so &"ch e&)ty s)ace !et'een the stars in the gala ies, it is highly "nli+ely that individ"al stars 'ill collide 'ith each other, so it is sa%e to ass"&e that the (olar (yste& is not in any signi%icant danger# $he 'orst that &ight ha))en is a &assive star 'ill )ass !y and stri) the )lanets

a'ay %ro& the ("n, or the entire (olar (yste& 'ill go !arreling thro"gh intergalactic s)ace# A%ter the initial collision, the gala ys3 cores 'ill oscillate %or a %e' !illion years as the rest o% the stars %all into line# ,nce this collision is co&)leted, the -il+y WayAAndro&eda s")ergala y 'ill !eco&e an elli)tical gala y 'ith little to no stellar %or&ation 618# $he Andro&eda and -il+y Way .ala y share si&ilar &asses and str"ct"res# 9n order to st"dy !oth gala ies, there are di%%erent h"rdles to !e lea)ed# For the Andro&eda gala y, distance and angle co&)ared to the 4arth is an iss"e# -ean'hile, vie's %ro& the inside o% the -il+y Way are o!sc"red !y interstellar gas and d"st# $hro"gh o!servation, trial and error, and recent "se o% advancing technology, 'e3ve !een a!le to asse&!le in%or&ation a!o"t these gala ies# =es)ite all 'e have gathered, li+e the early &odels o% the -il+y Way, o"r &odern &odels o% -71 and the .ala y 'ill contin"e to evolve#

Citations
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