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    Can we see galaxies?

    In Stargate (and other sci-fi media), they show galaxies as visible things that we can actually and clearly observe without some sort of special photography. In reality however, with our bare eyes we can't look up at the sky and see the rest of the milky way Galaxy (while we are withing it). In "No man's land" and "The return" Both the whole Milky way and Pegasus galaxies were visible.

    My question is, if we were outside a galaxy, say 50,000 light years away from the core (let's say in 'front of the galaxy'), would we be able to see it as we imagine, like a swirly mass of stars?
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    #2
    I beleive that 50,000 light years isn't enough...... galaxies are huge..... but i do beleive if you were appropriatly distanced you could frame a galaxy with you fingers the way an artist frames a scene..... you would be like ten times further away from it the its width.... perspective vision is an odd thing but you can measure the appropriate distance using a perspective grid.....


    only way i think this wouldn't work is if gravity and other galactic physics bended the light enough that it was just a big blyr.....i do beleive that astronomers have photographed galaxies here on earth thats why people know that there are swirls, blob and other types of galaxies.

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      #3
      Here is a link to all the galaxies that the Hubble has photographed.
      http://hubblesite.org/gallery/album/galaxy

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        #4
        Originally posted by Specter177 View Post
        Here is a link to all the galaxies that the Hubble has photographed.
        http://hubblesite.org/gallery/album/galaxy
        Its amazing isnt it? there is a very very very small but real chance that there might be a plante in one of those galxies that might have life. We will never know but its quit humbling to think about how huge the Universe is.
        Carl Sagan on Nuclear self Destruction

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          #5
          Originally posted by Empress Vajnraa View Post
          In Stargate (and other sci-fi media), they show galaxies as visible things that we can actually and clearly observe without some sort of special photography. In reality however, with our bare eyes we can't look up at the sky and see the rest of the milky way Galaxy (while we are withing it). In "No man's land" and "The return" Both the whole Milky way and Pegasus galaxies were visible.
          There are likely more knowledgeable heads on this forum who may be able to answer better than me. But I'll try. As far as viewing galaxies with the naked eye from Earth, the Andromeda galaxy is visible as a faint wisp, provided one views from outside the boundaries of city lights, and provided one knows where to look for it. As for viewing within the Milky Way, all the stars we see in the night sky are of course part of MW, but of course these represent only a small part of MW, the rest of which we can't see. Even the galactic center, which I believe is in the direction of the constellation Sagittarius, is obscured from our view by dark matter.

          Originally posted by Empress Vajnraa View Post
          My question is, if we were outside a galaxy, say 50,000 light years away from the core (let's say in 'front of the galaxy'), would we be able to see it as we imagine, like a swirly mass of stars?
          I believe the answer is yes. There's a lot of astronomical art out there that depicts just such a scene looking face-on at the Milky Way and its spiral arms, often from hypothetical locations in one of MW's satellite galaxies such as the Large Magellanic Cloud, which actually is further away at 160,000 light years.

          Last edited by Professor D.H.D. Puddlejumper; 10 March 2009, 06:32 PM.
          My timeline of the Ancients here.

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            #6
            Originally posted by Empress Vajnraa View Post
            In Stargate (and other sci-fi media), they show galaxies as visible things that we can actually and clearly observe without some sort of special photography. In reality however, with our bare eyes we can't look up at the sky and see the rest of the milky way Galaxy (while we are withing it). In "No man's land" and "The return" Both the whole Milky way and Pegasus galaxies were visible.
            This is for artistic effect, much in the same way that the ships and space stations in intergalactic space are illuminated in these episodes in spite of the complete lack of a light source.


            Originally posted by Empress Vajnraa View Post
            My question is, if we were outside a galaxy, say 50,000 light years away from the core (let's say in 'front of the galaxy'), would we be able to see it as we imagine, like a swirly mass of stars?
            Umm, you do realize that the Milky Way is about 100,000 light years across, right? Thus, if you were 50,000 light years from the core, you would be at the very edge the galaxy (unless, of course, you were outside the plane of rotation).


            Originally posted by Professor D.H.D. Puddlejumper View Post
            As far as viewing galaxies with the naked eye from Earth, the Andromeda galaxy is visible as a faint wisp, provided one views from outside the boundaries of city lights, and provided one knows where to look for it.
            Okay, so Andromeda is about 2.5 million light years away (interesting: it's closer than Pegasus). If we take the Midway station in "The Return" to be 1.5 million light years from the Milky Way, then the Milky Way should, by the inverse square law, be about three times as bright as Andromeda is from Earth, meaning that they would just barely be able to see it if they turned off all of their running lights.


            Originally posted by Professor D.H.D. Puddlejumper View Post
            Even the galactic center, which I believe is in the direction of the constellation Sagittarius, is obscured from our view by dark matter.
            Huh? No, it is not. It might be obscured by other stars and by interstellar dust, but Dark Matter is, pretty much by its definition, invisible to all know detection methods save for its gravitational effect.
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              #7
              Originally posted by Quadhelix View Post
              Huh? No, it is not. It might be obscured by other stars and by interstellar dust, but Dark Matter is, pretty much by its definition, invisible to all know detection methods save for its gravitational effect.
              Yes you're right, it was dust. Don't know why I said dark matter. A momentary lapse on my part.

              My timeline of the Ancients here.

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                #8
                dude, pictures were pretty, no complain

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                  #9
                  If you're outside of Earth's atmosphere then you can clearly see galaxies at about 12 billion lightyears away, there are billions or even trillions of galaxies visible from Earth orbit. Some are spirals, but the problem with seeing the shape is that you need good resolution to pick out the arms.

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                    #10
                    yes we can see galaxies. from earth, something like pegasus is too far away. but without any atmosphere and other stuff blinding us, in the Void the MW should be visible to some extent

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                      #11
                      Originally posted by FN-P90 View Post
                      Its amazing isnt it? there is a very very very small but real chance that there might be a plante in one of those galxies that might have life. We will never know but its quit humbling to think about how huge the Universe is.

                      Actually, FN-P90, there's alot more chance than just one in all of those galaxies. Even more so in our own. A star in the night sky that flickers very slightly (much more detectable with equipment from space and such) means that planets are rotating around it. Now considering there are may planets in the solar system (which can be measured by the amount of flickers), perhaps 10, now say 1 of those is in the liquid water zone, with the right heat and water for life, anything could develop. Oxygen may or may not be needed. This ever increases the chances, but yes it is humbling and incomprhensable for the human mind to understand the size of the universe. The problem is the universe is way to big, maybe in eon's we will have the technology to reach other galaxies, but in this century and many to follow, i doubt we will be able to even leave our own solar system with our own tech.

                      Sig by Draygon.

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                        #12
                        Originally posted by Dragon_Heart View Post
                        Actually, FN-P90, there's alot more chance than just one in all of those galaxies. Even more so in our own. A star in the night sky that flickers very slightly (much more detectable with equipment from space and such) means that planets are rotating around it. Now considering there are may planets in the solar system (which can be measured by the amount of flickers), perhaps 10, now say 1 of those is in the liquid water zone, with the right heat and water for life, anything could develop. Oxygen may or may not be needed. This ever increases the chances, but yes it is humbling and incomprhensable for the human mind to understand the size of the universe. The problem is the universe is way to big, maybe in eon's we will have the technology to reach other galaxies, but in this century and many to follow, i doubt we will be able to even leave our own solar system with our own tech.

                        Hopefully Human understanding and Reason willl over come our ignornce and we end all these pointless wars. THen we can finally make some real advances.

                        Just looking up is very humbling. We humans are connected to each other geneticly. we are connected to the Earth molecularly, and we are connected to the universe atomicly. We are in the Universe, and the universe, is inside use. People wonder sometimes what is our purpose here? I dont think our purpose is to stay here and close our selves of from the universe, but to explore it, and go as far as we possibly can. If we do, or donot find inteligent life on another planet its good. If we do we discover how diverse and complex life REALLY is, and if we dont, we discover how rare, and unique it is, and should be protected at all costs.

                        This is a request from me to anyone who reads this. The next time you are outside, away from the blinding city lights and its a clear night, dont forget to look up. Because there is so much to see, and so much to learn.
                        Carl Sagan on Nuclear self Destruction

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                          #13
                          FN, i actually never thought id never find someone with the same feelings and views. The universe is huge, and we all originated from it. No matter how you see it, everyone and everything is connected, even from a religuos point of view, even if your totally emphatic that god created us, something created god, and we came as a result of that. The human race may have been born form one tiny cell, just suddenly sprung to life and duplicated and evolved over millenia, till the point where complex brains can process information in such a way that they can make huge advances in culture and technology. However you see it, big bang or god, we are all related.

                          You have to wonder what's up there, what possibilities lye beyond our reach of exploration. As obama said, "the world is changing, and we must change with it". Very true words. We need to put aside our selfish feelings and beliefs if we are to move forward as a race. People like Bin Laden are the scum of humanity and show how messed up a human can be, we are not perfect, but if we are to become the best that we can, we must unite on a global scale and figure a way out of the global crisis, economically, socially, and planetary wise (global warming, starvation etc.)

                          Sig by Draygon.

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                            #14
                            Originally posted by Dragon_Heart View Post
                            FN, i actually never thought id never find someone with the same feelings and views. The universe is huge, and we all originated from it. No matter how you see it, everyone and everything is connected, even from a religuos point of view, even if your totally emphatic that god created us, something created god, and we came as a result of that. The human race may have been born form one tiny cell, just suddenly sprung to life and duplicated and evolved over millenia, till the point where complex brains can process information in such a way that they can make huge advances in culture and technology. However you see it, big bang or god, we are all related.

                            You have to wonder what's up there, what possibilities lye beyond our reach of exploration. As obama said, "the world is changing, and we must change with it". Very true words. We need to put aside our selfish feelings and beliefs if we are to move forward as a race. People like Bin Laden are the scum of humanity and show how messed up a human can be, we are not perfect, but if we are to become the best that we can, we must unite on a global scale and figure a way out of the global crisis, economically, socially, and planetary wise (global warming, starvation etc.)
                            I have always hoped that one day people will realize how idiotic war is and how useless it is and just stop it. When that day come the door of the universe will open all the way for use.
                            Carl Sagan on Nuclear self Destruction

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                              #15
                              Originally posted by FN-P90 View Post
                              I have always hoped that one day people will realize how idiotic war is and how useless it is and just stop it. When that day come the door of the universe will open all the way for use.

                              War is idiotic yes i totally agree, but is nessasary in some cases, as in helping the people in iraq from being in fear 24/7, it's totally wrong. We are there to help a people, and for me that shows the good in us. We have seen what we can accomplish when we come together and work in times of crisis. 9/11 showed what humanity is capable of, but it also showed the grit and determination of hundreds of people to save who they could. With these scum of the earth, the terrorists and religuos nuts we cannot move forward.

                              Until people come to terms with the fact that sensless slaughtering is pointless, we will get nowhere. Bu when that time comes, when we all realise our future lies somewhere out there. If we are to survive as a race we will need to one day to colonize the stars, and with all these wars and probems we cannot concentrate on that. Racism, greed and selfish-ness are the major faults of some.

                              But i do believe humanity has the will, the determination to move forward, and we will. Once this happens, the universe will open up, and we may explore the wonders and mysteries it holds, i just feel sadness that it will not happen in my life time. I would rather die than see world war 3, millions would be killed, and i really couldn't cope being part of a race that can herald such destruction and senseless killing while i am still breathing.

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