Exploring the Universe


Galaxies and Planets

It is getting to the point where planets areThe third closest galaxy to us, at about
being found everywhere. Fifty here, fifty200,000 light years, is the Small Magellanic
there, well maybe I am exaggerating a little,Cloud, a dwarf galaxy. Again this galaxy is
but there are a lot of planets out there. Nowbeing absorbed by our galaxy. Gas is being
that we know for sure that planets existcreated by dying stars and so are star
outside our own solar system, maybe we shouldclusters, as they are being pulled away from
stop counting the ones that we find. Why do Ithe Small Magellanic Cloud. There is also a
say this? Our galaxy is only one of billions,debris trail that stretches from both of
or even more. It contains overthese galaxies into our own. This is another
100,000,000,000 stars. If only one star ingalaxy that can only be seen from the
three has planets around it and lets say thesouthern hemisphere. Thanks to these two
average amount of planets is 4, we aregalaxies, our own is getting bigger. Both of
looking at a heck of a lot of planets mythe Magellanic Cloud galaxies are considered
friends. That is roughly 133,333,333,333to be primitive and neither is said to have
planets in only our own galaxy. If only oneas many heavy elements as our own galaxy. The
planet of these in 1,000 has life, we arechances of finding planets with life in the
looking at 13,333,333 planets containingtwo Magellanic Cloud galaxies are much
life. If only 1 in 1,000 of these hasslimmer than in our own or the Andromeda
intelligent life, we are look at 13,333galaxy. This is because there are a lot of
planets in our galaxy that containvery young stars in them, some being as young
intelligent life. Now you know why we areas only twelve million years old. This
searching for signals from planets withdoesn't give much time, if any, for planetary
intelligent life, it is because the numbersdevelopment.
favor the chances of it being there. Our
world can't be that special that we are theOur Milky Way is about 90,000 light years in
only intelligent beings in the galaxy. Itdiameter and has a circumference of about
would be very closed minded of us to believe270,000 light years. It is disk shaped and is
this. Even if we take the bible as a literalabout 2,400 light years thick. None of these
interpretation of God's word, I don't thinkfigures are exact and can be off by as much
there is anything in there that prohibitsas 50,000 light years, no one knows for sure.
life in other places besides Earth. Maybe IOur galaxy is part of a group of galaxies
will receive an argument on this, but this isknown as the local group. This group is in
what  I  believe.itself part of the Virgo Supercluster. Other
dwarf galaxies that orbit our Milky Way are
The Andromeda galaxy is our neighbor galaxy.Canis Major, Sagittarius, Ursa Minor,
It is classified as M31. The M stands forSculptor, Sextans, Fomax and Leo. Some are so
Messier Object. Charles Messier was a Frenchsmall that they are only 500 light years
astronomer that lived from 1730 to 1817. Heacross. These tiny galaxies would be Carina,
complied a list of objects that wereDraco and Leo II, all dwarfs. It is thought
difficult to tell from comets. Of course thethat there might be more of these galaxies
telescopes then were not as good as the onesorbiting us that have much less mass and
today and today this isn't a problem. Theretherefore are going undetected for the
are 110 of these objects. Andromeda is amoment. It is felt that they might be mostly
larger galaxy than our own. It is pretty neargas and dust. There is a ripple effect at the
us in cosmic terms and is headed for asouthern edge of our galaxy and this is
collision with the Milky Way. Don't worrythought to be caused by the Magellanic Clouds
though, it will take about 4 billion yearsas they orbit us. The speed of the
before this happens. Even when it does happenapproaching Andromeda Galaxy is about 100 to
there is not much chance of being smashed140 kilometers per second. That is roughly 67
into. The stars are just too far apart. NASAto 93 miles per second. No one is quite sure
describes it this way, picture two grains ofhow fast our galaxy is traveling. There have
sand separated by a football field. That isbeen estimates that range form 100 km to
about the distance of the stars from each1,000 km. per second. That is somewhere
other in each galaxy. When the two galaxiesbetween 67 to to 667 miles per second and
do meet, they will pass into each other ateven  this  might  be  wrong.
the speed of about 1,000,000 mph, Ouch! Some
day the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies willSome of the recently found planets from
be one. The main problem with the twooutside our solar system include one that was
galaxies passing into each other is the gasdiscovered orbiting a star that was
and debris that each contain. Recent findingsconsidered quite normal. The planet is about
indicate that the Andromeda Galaxy contains5.5 times the size of the Earth. It is
over a trillion stars, which is far more thanfurther away from its sun than we are from
the Milky Way, but here is the kicker, theyours. The star it orbits is 28,000 light
have also found that the Milky Way is moreyears away and the planet is thought to be
massive, due to more dark matter beingrocky. The star it orbits is a red dwarf.
present. Dark matter is the matter that weThat means it is about 50 times less powerful
can't see. It is estimated that 90% of thethan our sun, but is the most common type of
universe is made of it. Because of all thisstar in the universe. Some Earth sized
dark matter in our own galaxy, it would haveplanets have been detected, but these were
been interesting to see how this effects theonly orbiting dying neutron stars. A neutron
collision  between  the  two  galaxies.star is a star that comes from a supernova
explosion. It is VERY dense. You are talking
Forgetting the collision for a second, theabout a star that is only about 10 km(about
potential for planets in the Andromeda Galaxy6.5 miles) in radius, yet has a mass about
is even far greater than our own, because of1.5 times that of our sun, which has a radius
the number of stars in that galaxy.of 695,000 km (about 463,333 miles). It is
Scientists believe that the same physics isbelieved that any planet orbiting a sun of
in effect in all galaxies and throughout thethis type MUST be a dead world. Another
universe. I wonder if this could be a wrongplanet was found at a distance of about 20
assumption, even in small ways? For example,light years. It is rotating around a red sun
what if there was a planet where thingsthat is about 1.5 times the size of our sun.
didn't work quite the same. For example, weThe planet is considered to be very Earth
are used to seeing things fall down in alike and its discovery was announced in
straight line. What if there was a planetApril, 2007 by a team of European
where there was similar gravity to our own,astronomers. There is evidence to suggest
but for some unknown reason, things that felloceans. The diameter is 12,000 miles and its
hit the planet on an angle? With so manymass is 5 times that of Earth. Some
different planets and so many differentscientists are already saying that this
compositions, things could be quite differentplanet might just have the best chance for
than what we are used to, even if it didn'tlife so far. I believe that this statement is
violate the physical laws. Would it befar too premature. The planet is located in
possible to find a galaxy that had no planetsLibra.
or that had at least 5 or 6 planets for every
star? These are extreme cases, but you justHave you ever wondered why we are finding
can't rule anything out when you are talkingplanets that are usually huge? The answer is
about  the  unknown.simple, it is hard to find planets because
their suns block out their light. The bigger
Our own galaxy has satellite galaxiesthe planet the more light it gives off and
circling around it, like planets orbiting thethe easier it is to find, not that finding
sun. Two of these galaxies are the Smallplanets is easy. Will we find a planet that
Magellanic Cloud and the Large Magellanichas life on it? It seems that the universe
Cloud. The nearest galaxy to our own washas a surprise for us. That surprise is that
thought to be the Large Magellanic Cloud, atthere are many planets out there and many are
163,000 light years away. In 1994 it wassimilar to our own world. There may be
discovered that the he Sagittarius Dwarfmillions and billions of societies waiting
Elliptical Galaxy was closer at only aboutfor us, or trying to avoid us, whatever the
80,000 light years. The Magellanic Cloudcase  may  be.
galaxy is like a blob of stars. It can only
be seen in the southern hemisphere. ThisCopyright © 2007 by About Facts Net and
galaxy is disintegrating because we areits licensors. All rights reserved.
absorbing it. The gradational tug of warPermission is granted to reproduce this
between this galaxy and our own is creatingarticle if no changes are made and all links,
thousands of star clusters between the two.if any, remain intact.



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