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Old 16-07-2011, 03:16 PM
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multiweb (Marc)
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Join Date: Oct 2007
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Quote:
Originally Posted by renormalised View Post
However, the extinction event peaks occur at roughly 30-35 million year intervals, which might be due to the orbit of the solar system about the galaxy. We pass through the area of the spiral arms once every 30-35 million years or so. It appears that the extinction events of medium to large magnitude follow that time span approximately.
I don't get that one. Are you saying:

1_ the solar system orbit around the galaxy core is approx 30-35million years. (I didn't realise the galaxy was spinning that fast)

2_ we are passing through spiral arms? I thought all the stars in a spiral arm travel uniformely in the same direction? I mean the arm is a bunch of stars right, so we are a part of the arm?
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