Strange Setup: Andromeda's Satellite Galaxies All Lined Up

space.com ^ | 01/23/06 | Ker Than

[KevinDavis]

An unusually high number of galaxies are aligned along a single plane running through the center of the giant Andromeda galaxy. Scientists don’t have a theory to explain why.

Galactic cannibalism or dark matter may be responsible, researchers say.

The Andromeda galaxy is located at a distance of 2.5 million light-years away and is the nearest spiral galaxy to the Milky Way. Like our own galaxy, Andromeda is surrounded by numerous dwarf galaxy satellites. Many of these satellites are within 1.3 million light-years or less of the galaxy’s main disk.

Using the Hubble Space Telescope, Eva Grebel and Andrew Koch from the University of Basel in Switzerland found that nine out of Andromeda’s fourteen dwarf galaxy satellites reside in a single plane. The plane is about 52,000 light-years wide and is aligned perpendicular to Andromeda’s own galactic plane, within which the galaxy’s stars orbit about the center.

[KevinDavis]

[lexington minuteman 1775]

This could be "hugh and series"! Are we doomed? LOL!

[dirtboy]

Using the Hubble Space Telescope, Eva Grebel and Andrew Koch from the University of Basel in Switzerland found that nine out of Andromeda’s fourteen dwarf galaxy satellites reside in a single plane. The plane is about 52,000 light-years wide and is aligned perpendicular to Andromeda’s own galactic plane, within which the galaxy’s stars orbit about the center.

Sounds kinda similar to our solar system, just on a much bigger scale.

[voletti]

Wow.

From what I know the Andromeda is less than half the milky way's mass. Besides, what is a galaxy anyway? Any cluster of stars far enough away from any other cluster? Reminds me of the pluto debate. How do we know if the kupier belt asteriods aren'tr planets again, eh? Similarly how do we these 'satell galaxies" arent just arbit starlumps floating around...

[Doogle]

"If this scenario were correct, we would expect these satellites to maintain the original orbit from the original galaxy form which they came," Grebel explained. Early results from computer models suggest that such a scenario is physically possible.

..my eyes glazed over after star

Doogle

[mcshot]

Yup! We're doomed.
Drink heavily and forget calling as you and your phone will have melted.

mc :-)

[Grim]

Artist's conception of the polar plane of satellite galaxies around Andromeda. The plane passes perpendicularly through the center of Andromed and points towards M33 and M81. credit: E.K. Grebel/A. Koch

[xrp]

From what I know the Andromeda is less than half the milky way's mass.

huh...

Milky Way Galaxy is about 100,000 light years in diameter. Andromeda Galaxy is estimated between 225,000 LY and 260,000 LY.

Mr LaForge, we'll need warp 9.999999996! ENGAGE!

[demkicker]

l~joN

Scared yet?

[Interesting Times]

You have to like the phrase, "Galactic cannibalism."

[KevinDavis]

What is Bush doing about this???

[staytrue]

Andromeda, also known as Messier Object 31 or M31, is about 200 thousand light-years across and about 1.5 times more massive than the Milky Way.

[shield]

bttt

[pangaea6]

Dare I say it, "The Stars are Aligning"

[inquest]

An unusually high number of galaxies are aligned along a single plane running through the center of the giant Andromeda galaxy. Scientists don’t have a theory to explain why.

Galactic cannibalism or dark matter may be responsible, researchers say.

Dark matter? Dark magic sounds more like it. Satellite galaxies riding along the polar plane. Man, that's just downright Satanic.

And to top it off, it points towards M81, known as "Bode's Galaxy". Indeed, this all "Bodes" not well at all.

(just in case anybody's wondering, that was all sarcasm; I haven't really lost my mind - yet)

[Verginius Rufus]

Bush arranged for this to happen, to benefit Haliburton and Texas oilmen, and to ensure a Republican victory in the November 2006 elections.

[Steveone]

Thank you for posting that!

[stevio]

A picture is worth a thousand words.

[Moonman62]

ET engineering.