7 almost incredible facts about the Milky Way
Every star you see at night is a member of the Milky Way. However, if you look at a blurry object overhead, roughly the size of a full moon, you will see many stars beyond the Milky Way that outnumber them in the Milky Way. This is called the Andromeda galaxy.
Without a telescope, you cannot say that it consists of individual stars; it just looks like a fuzzy spot. What's a little depressing is that, according to scientific estimates, our Milky Way galaxy will collide with the Andromeda Galaxy in about 4.5 billion years.
And as you probably understand, it won't be good at all. But don't worry. We can guarantee you that in 4.5 billion years you will definitely be dead.
So, instead of being sad about what has been happening in 4.5 billion years, why not read 7 almost incredible facts about the Milky?
7 PHOTOS
1. Unimaginable speeds.
Our solar system revolves around the center of the galaxy at a speed of about 827,000 km / h.
2. It's really dusty and gaseous.
While this may not seem like a casual observer, the Milky Way is full of dust and gas. This substance makes up a whopping 10-15% of the luminous/visible matter in our galaxy, with the rest being stars.
3. People against the Milky Way.
The sun and our solar system have orbited the galaxy less than 20 times since our solar system was born about 4.6 billion years ago.
4. The Milky Way is full of toxic fats.
The swirling motion in the empty space between the stars of our galaxy is a pile of dirty grease. Oily organic molecules, known as aliphatic carbon compounds, form in some types of stars and then seep into interstellar space.
5. No one knows how much the Milky Way weighs.
Astronomers are still not sure exactly how much our galaxy weighs. Estimates currently range from 700 billion to 2 trillion times the mass of our Sun.
6. The path followed by the dog.
According to Cherokee legend, the Milky Way was formed when a dog stole a bag of cornmeal. She slept a little while she was being chased.
7. The Milky Way will not live forever.
In about four billion years, the Milky Way will collide with its closest neighbor, the Andromeda Galaxy. The two spiral galaxies are currently flying towards each other at a speed of 250,000 miles per hour.