Eating The Galaxy Next Door

November 4, 2003 9:50 AM

Nearer, My Galaxy, to Thee.The only thing I find more surprising than the discovery of a galactic collision-in-progress is the fact that a similar nearby galaxy had already been found last decade. I need to get up to date and throw out all my astronomy books which still cite the Magellanic Clouds as being our closest neighbors.
posted by brownpau (9 comments total)

The aggressive, unilateral imperialism of the Milky Way must be stopped!
posted by turbodog at 10:16 AM on November 4, 2003

turbodog, those ultra right wing milky way jingonists will never give up their imperialistic ways. Why can't they just learn to that no one galaxies way of life is superior to another?
posted by Apoch at 10:50 AM on November 4, 2003

We must at least attempt to understand the ways of the Sagittarius Dwarf before we engulf and devour it.
posted by languagehat at 11:01 AM on November 4, 2003

Reams to rewrite.
posted by the fire you left me at 11:02 AM on November 4, 2003

Puny humans! The Milky Way is devouring the Sagittarius Dwarf as an object lesson to those rebellious Magellanic Clouds! Not that the Milky Way won't eventually devour them as well. And just ask about the Milky Way's plans for the Andromeda Galaxy in a couple billion years! No, wait, don't. Let's make it a surprise for those snotty Andromedeans. They deserve what's coming to them.
posted by jscalzi at 3:03 PM on November 4, 2003

"..there are not too many hiding places left for dwarf galaxies.

How times have changed.
posted by stbalbach at 4:09 PM on November 4, 2003

Galactic dwarf tossing in action
posted by fatbobsmith at 5:28 PM on November 4, 2003

Actually, the Andromeda galaxy is larger than the Milky Way - so I guess it's us snotty Milky Wayans (?) who are in for the the surprise. If you can call it a surprise when you can see it coming from 3 billion years away.

In any case, better start stocking up on canned beans and matches.
posted by spazzm at 5:45 PM on November 4, 2003

Well, on the plus side, somebody found a use for e-books.
Or at least *one* e-book. "Basic Astronomy". Every day when you plug it in you get different answers.

Let's see: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Planet X, Jupiter, Planet Y, Uranus (deleted), Neptune I, Neptune II, and the giant space squid egg we thought was Pluto.

Oh yeah, and the giant turtle has two heads.
posted by kablam at 6:32 PM on November 4, 2003