Milky Way bigger than we thought

[glenc (Glen)]

The Milky Way - our home galaxy - is twice as thick as we thought it was, Australian astrophysicists say.
Professor Bryan Gaensler from the University of Sydney and his team have found that the enormous spiral-shaped collection of gas and stars is 12,000 light years thick when seen edge-on, not 6,000 as scientists previously thought...
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...20/2167853.htm

[DARKMATTER]

interesting, Thanks!

[xelasnave]

Glen can we look at them the next time out? Great link
alex

[glenc (Glen)]

Do you mean the Milky Way or the pulsars?

[xelasnave]

any pulsar region would be good ...only ever seen crab neb prob others but not aware...
alex

[CoombellKid]

Interesting article Glen, I wonder if this will mean they might also revaluate
the width of the Milky Way or any other galaxy. I've always thought there
is probably a lot of hidden stuff extending out from a galaxies disc which
we cant see or pick up visually or photograpically.

regards,CS

[Outbackmanyep]

Hmmmm, interesting! I wonder if people are willing to accept if it true, there were lots of skeptics when Pluto got demoted, now the milky way is twice as thick!?

[glenc (Glen)]

Rob do you know of any pulsars that we could see?

[CoombellKid]

Originally Posted by glenc

Rob do you know of any pulsars that we could see?

Off the top of my head, I'm pretty sure the central star in the Helix is a
pulsar and easily observable. Another in the Crab Neb which I have never
seen, Alex have you actually eyeballed it?

Apart from that I'm not sure. I think most observations done on pulsars is
with a radio telescope.

regards,CS

[glenc (Glen)]

Here is the smh version of the story.
http://news.smh.com.au/milky-way-fat...0220-1tbv.html

[xelasnave]

Originally Posted by CoombellKid

Off the top of my head, I'm pretty sure the central star in the Helix is a
pulsar and easily observable. Another in the Crab Neb which I have never
seen, Alex have you actually eyeballed it?

Apart from that I'm not sure. I think most observations done on pulsars is
with a radio telescope.

regards,CS

I could say yes up home you can see that sort of theing....er but no...but I did not think it was posible so I would not have tried.. mmm
alex

[GrahamL]

Can any of the closer dwarf galaxys now be back in the fold so to speak because of this glen?.. To double the size of one width of the tape sure is a big change ..

[glenc (Glen)]

I suspect we still have the same number of dwarf companions, but some will be closer.

[cahullian]

does that make our Galaxy the biggest in the local group now??

Gazz