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Originally Posted by Insane Climber
This is interesting, I have just come accross the idea that something out there is causing everything to spin, Two Galaxy's close together seem to effect each others spin? any comments on that?
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By everything, I assume you mean astronomical objects such as moons, planets, stars and galaxies that spin (rotate) about an axis.
In the Universe, gases and particles eventually accrete under gravitation but are moving through space due to expansion. My understanding is that, as matter accretes and centralizes, angular momentum increases i.e. the object spins faster. Why an object spins about an axis in preference to another probably depends on other local massive objects e.g. the planets tend to spin in an axis roughly perpendicular to their orbit about the Sun (forget Uranus). Similarly for our Moon about the Earth.
I'm not sure whether all stars spin nor whether all black holes do. Certainly, the Milky Way spins, its period being about 220 million years, as do all other spiral galaxies. I would assume elliptical galaxies rotate but can't confirm this.
Two galaxies close together would affect each others spin due to the gravitational drag of stars in each galaxy at the closer points of each disk. I would assume the drag would be greater if the galaxies were rotating in the same direction. Mind you, if they were close enough together, perimeter stars would probably be ripped from their normal orbits about each galaxy.
Regards, Rob