MILKY WAY’S TRUE SIZE MEASURED

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Published on March 13, 2019 9:11:29 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9R7f6zZSk0

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research notes:

https://arxiv.org/abs/1804.11348
ESA GAIA Telescope - http://sci.esa.int/hubble/61198-hubble-and-gaia-accurately-weigh-the-milky-way-heic1905/
https://arxiv.org/abs/1205.5037?fbclid=IwAR0xdRnK6WE-obMlg0v5ZjBPj79hvABHedVx8eE7j-4j3XIJ9y1Djwpczlo
https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2018/04/aa32880-18/aa32880-18.html?fbclid=IwAR3IagIaC7tk70TdC0PZzgqX7krZlA2QOttB5lJtSKsGwi4x5GalOO8H1Dc


MILKY WAY’S TRUE SIZE MEASURED

For decades astronomy science was bit puzzled as to the real size of Milky Way Galaxy, which for most of the modern history wasn’t clear, most astronomers who attempted to answer what it seemed simple question became bogged down in observation data that took many decades of extensive research. The best guess work as to the size of Milky Way was based on data from 1950s, and little has changed since.

But in an attempt to come to more conclusive and scientific evidence based data, required extensive sift through decades of Hubble telescope data and now more recent observational data by number of space based telescopes, a daunting task at best of times.

Why would calculating something so simple such as measuring the size of our own galaxy be so difficult? I mean we have measured most galaxies within 20 million light years with great precision and examined some to a great detail. We in fact know more about some neighboring galaxies than our own, why is that?
The problem at least when it comes to the observational data, is that our own Sun lies within Milky Way Galaxy, in fact we’re 27000 light years from the very center of our galaxy, barely one fifth out, the galactic disk goes further 102 000 light years in one direction and 156 000 light years in the other direction. Our Galaxy is true behemoth, in fact could be the largest galaxy within 30 million light years in all directions, easily.

It also doesn’t help the fact the vast amount of gas, stars, nebulas obscure clear view of our galaxy, measuring and establishing what belong to Milky Way galaxy and what to number of dwarf galaxies that orbit Milky Way isn’t easy task either.

Scientist at Cornell University, after sifting through mountain of observational data from ESA’s own Gaia Telescope and Hubble Telescope over past several years ESO – European Southern Observatory Astronomer Laura L. Watkins and her colleagues from Cornell University concluded that Milky Way Galaxy is somewhat larger and and more massive than previously thought.

In fact, Milky Way Galaxy, they concluded is 258 000 light years across and has a mass slightly over 1,5 trillion suns. The exact mass will need to be worked out in coming years but we finally have some extensive and verifiable data that can corroborate, data that based on extensive observational research.

According to this data, Milky Way Galaxy is true giant among galaxies, larger than any other galaxy in the local group and much wider, in fact it is so massive one would really need to stretch our observation to find a galaxy that would equal Milky Way Galaxy in mass and size.

However, even though it is larger than Andromeda Galaxy, for long believed to be the largest member of the local group, it has fewer stars. Milky Way might contain only half the stars of Andromeda Galaxy, in fact all the stars, planets and gas in milky Way constitute only 15-20% of the total mass of the milky way galaxy, the rest of the mass being elusive dark matter which gives MWG such a hefty weight.

Further research is needed to make exact measurements to be absolutely certain, but data presented by the team from the Cornell University and European Southern Observatory, is most detailed and accurate data so far.