reply to post by GhostLancer
I know the thread you're talking about.....it is an interesting topic, but PLEASE don't misunderstand it!!!
According to another post, we are originally from another galaxy that is colliding with the Milky Way, which explains why the Milky Way is
almost at a 90 degree angle to us, and why we oscillate along its galactic plane.
Firstly....it is theoretical. AND, our particular planetary system's orientation, vis-a'-vis the rest of the "Galactic Plane" is irrelevant!! It is
not an "explanation", in and of itself. THINK on this fact, for a moment: WHEN astronomers are discovering extra-Solar planets, they do so first, by
noting stars that "wobble"..THIS MEANS, that the planets that are orbiting that star are doing so "edge on" to us!!! In other words, those star
systems are aligned more or less parallel to ours!! Further, as they observe and scrutinize these candidate stars, they look for signs of planet
crossing, going in front of the star...the planet passes between it, and us...and then they can do spectrometer readings, and get some idea of the
components of the planet.....its atmosphere, etc. They guess at its mass fromthe effect it has on the home star's "wobble"....
A star system's (and our Solar System's) orientation has nothing to do with anything! It is random.
NOW....as to the possibility of a "merger"....it was not when "WE", as humans, existed....for, any such galactic merging would have occurred LONG,
LONG before humans evolved....long before mammals ruled the planet! Probably long before complex life forms of any kind!! Billions of years ago! I
am sorry if that other thread left another impression....it may not have been clear, on that...but, it is long, and sometimes such details get
missed........
Current estimates regarding the nearest other spiral galaxy to us, Andromeda....estimates are that WE are growing closer, the Milky Way, and that
galaxy. In about
three billion years, or so, will see another possible merger (or a close call, at least).
Things happen VERY, VERY slowly, on astronomical timescales. People seem to forget that, and apply human standards and concepts, instead......
BTW...someone saw my post about this timescale ( the false impression that 2012 is somehow significant ) and an alleged "two year" travel time for
these non-existent "space ships", that are topic.
I used Mars' orbit, because of its approximately two-year time-frame...but, the fact that it's an ellipse threw some off, it seems. STRETCH it out,
the total distance travelled by Mars, on orbit, into a straight line....my point is, IF these "things" (that aren't there...they are lens/camera
anomalies) were going to take "two years" to get here, and they were moving as fast as Mars moves (FOR example...) then they certainly don't
demonstrate any technology capable of travelling between the stars!!! IF they are FARTHER than about 1.5 billion kilometers?? (Compare to the
distance Jupiter is, from Sun....778,570,000 kilometers).
Then HOW can they be "seen"?? How "big" does Jupiter appear, even in a telescope?? BTW, Saturn? Farther than Jupiter, and IT is about 1,514,500,000
kilometers. 1 and 1/2 billion.
Logic!! It seems to be missing from this thread.......
edit on 9 December 2010 by weedwhacker because: (no reason given)