Where does the name of the Milky Way come from. Galaxy Milky Way
The starry sky sincerely attracted the views of people. The best minds of all nations tried to comprehend our place in the Universe, imagine and substantiate her device. Scientific progress made it possible to proceed in the study of endless spaces of space from romantic and religious constructions to logically verified theories based on numerous actual material. Now any schoolboy has an idea of \u200b\u200bhow our galaxy looks like according to the latest research, who, why and when she gave her such a poetic name and what is its estimated future.
origin of name
The expression "Galaxy Milky Way", in essence, Tavtology. Galactikos in the exemplary translated from the ancient Greek means "milk". So the residents of Peloponnese called the cluster of stars in the night sky, attributing his origin of the hot-tempered hero: the goddess did not want to feed the Hercules, the annoyless son of Zeus, and in the anger splashed breast milk. Drops and formed a starwarm, prominent in clear nights. After a century, scientists discovered that the observed luminaries - only an insignificant part of existing heavenly Tel. The space of the universe, in which our planet is located, they gave the name of the Galaxy or the Milky Way system. After confirming the assumption of the existence and other similar formations in space, the first term became universal for them.
View from the inside
Scientific knowledge of the structure of the universe, including Sunny system, I have little taken from the ancient Greeks. Understanding how our galaxy looks like, has passed the evolution from the spherical universe of Aristotle to modern theories, in which there is a place of black holes and dark matter.
The fact that the Earth is the element of the Milky Way system, imposes certain restrictions on those who are trying to find out what form our galaxy has. For a unambiguous answer to this question, you need a view from the side, and at a high distance from the object of observation. Now science is deprived of such an opportunity. A peculiar substitute for a third-party observer is to collect data on the structure of the galaxy and their correlation with the parameters of other space systems available for study.
The collected information is allowed to say with confidence that our galaxy has a disc shape with thickening (baljem) in the middle and diverging from the center spiral sleeves. The latter contain the most bright stars of the system. The diameter of the disk is more than 100 thousand light years.
Structure
The center of the Galaxy is hidden by interstellar dust that impede the study of the system. Methods of radio astronomy helps to cope with the problem. Waves of a certain length easily overcome any obstacles and allow you to get such a welcome image. Our galaxy, according to the data obtained, has an inhomogeneous structure.
It is possible to distinguish two elements connected with each other: halo and actual disk. The first subsystem has the following characteristics:
- in form it is a sphere;
- the center is considered to be Balj;
- the greatest concentration of stars in halo is characteristic of its mid-part, with an approach to the edges, the density decreases greatly;
- the rotation of this zone of the galaxy is quite slow;
- in the halo, there are mainly old stars with a relatively small mass;
- the considerable space of the subsystem is filled with dark matter.
The galactic disc on the density of stars is much higher than halo. In the sleeves there are young and even formed
Center and kernel
The "heart" of the Milky Way is in without studying it is hard to understand to the end, what is our galaxy. Name "kernel" in scientific works Either applies only to the central region with a diameter of just a few parseca, or includes a baljew and a gas ring, which is considered to be the land of stars. Next will be used the first version of the term.
In the center of the Milky Way with difficulty penetrates the visible light: it faces a large number of cosmic dust hiding what our galaxy looks like. Photos and images made in the infrared range are significantly expanding the knowledge of astronomers about the kernel.
Data on the peculiarities of radiation in the central part of the galaxy pushed scientists to the idea that a black hole is in the core core. Its mass is more than 2.5 million times more than the mass of the Sun. Around this object, according to the researchers, another one rotates, but less impressive in its parameters, a black hole. Modern knowledge of the features of the structure of space suggests that such objects are located in the central part of most galaxies.
Light and darkness
The joint influence of black holes on the movement of stars makes its own adjustments to how our galaxy looks like: it leads to specific changes in orbits, uncharacteristic for cosmic bodies, for example, near the solar system. The study of these trajectories and the ratio of velocities of movement with remoteness from the center of the Galaxy formed the basis of the theory of dark matter actively developing. Nature is still covered by a secret. The presence of dark matter, presumably the component of the overwhelming part of the whole substance in the universe, is recorded only on the effects of gravity just into orbits.
If you dispel all space dustThat hides the kernel from us, the picture will be awesome. Despite the concentration of dark matter, this part of the universe is full of light emitted huge number stars. On one unit of space, they are hundreds of times more than near the sun. Approximately ten billion of them form a galactic bar, also called a jumper, not quite ordinary form.
Space Oreke
Studying the center of the system in the long-wave range made it possible to get a detailed infrared image. Our galaxy, as it turned out, in the core has a structure that resembles peanuts in the shell. This "nut" is a jumper, which includes more than 20 million red giants (bright, but less hot stars).
From the ends of the bar, the spiral sleeves of the Milky Way are diverged.
The work associated with the detection of "Peanut" in the center of the star system, not only shed the light on how our galaxy in structure, but also helped to understand how it developed. Initially, in space space, there was a regular disk, in which the jumper was formed over time. Under the influence of internal processes, the bar changed his shape and began to resemble the nut.
Our House on the Space Map
Active happens both in the jumper and in the spiral sleeves, which our galaxy has. The name was given by the constellations, where the sections of the branches were discovered: Perseus sleeves, Swan, Centaurus, Sagittarius and Orion. Near the latter (at a distance of at least 28 thousand light years from the nucleus) and there is a solar system. This area has certain characteristics, according to experts who have made it possible to occur on Earth.
Galaxy and our solar system are rotating with it. The patterns of the movement of individual components do not coincide. The stars are sometimes part of the spiral branches, it is separated from them. Only shining, lying on the border of the corotional circle, do not make such "travels". These include the sun, protected from powerful processes that constantly flow into the sleeves. Even a slight displacement will not have any other benefits for the development of organisms on our planet.
Sky in diamonds
The sun is just one of many similar bodies, which is full of our galaxy. Stars, single or grouped, general number exceed according to the latest data 400 billion. The proxima Centaur nearest to us is enters into the system of three stars together with a slightly more remote Alfa Centaurus A and Alfoy Centaur B. The brightest point of the night sky, Sirius A, is in its luminosity in different data exceeds solar 17-23 times. Sirius is also not alone, he is accompanied by a satellite, which is similar to the name, but with marking B.
Children often begin to get acquainted with how our galaxy looks like, with a search in the sky Polar stars or alpha. Small Majer. Its popularity is obliged to position North Pole Earth. By luminosity, the polar exceeds Sirius (almost two thousand times brighter), but it cannot challenge alpha rights Big PSA The title is the brightest due to remoteness from the Earth (estimated from 300 to 465 light years).
Types of Lamp
Stars are distinguished not only by the luminosity and remoteness from the observer. Each is attributed to a certain value (the corresponding Sun parameter is taken per unit), the degree of surface heating, color.
The most impressive sizes are supergiant. The largest concentration of substance in a unit volume is different neutron stars. The color characteristic is inextricably linked with temperatures:
- red coolest;
- the heating of the surface is up to 6,000º, like the sun, generates a yellow shade;
- white and blue shtamilas have a temperature of more than 10,000º.
It may change and reach the maximum shortly before its collapse. Explosions of supernovae make a huge contribution to understanding what our galaxy looks like. The photo of this process obtained by telescopes is amazed.
The data collected on them helped to restore the process leading to the outbreak, and predict the fate of a number of space bodies.
Future of the Milky Way
Our galaxy and other galaxies are constantly in motion and interact. Astronomers have established that the Milky Way has repeatedly absorbed neighbors. Such processes are expected in the future. Over time, Magellanovo cloud and a number of dwarf systems will be included in it. The most impressive event is expected in 3-5 billion years. It will be a collision with a single neighbor who is visible from the ground with a naked eye. As a result, the Milky Way will become an elliptical galaxy.
Painless spaces of space amazing. There is hard to realize the inhabitant to realize the scale of not only the Milky Way or the entire Universe, but even the Earth. However, thanks to the achievements of science, we can imagine at least approximately, part of which grand world is.
We live in the galaxy, which the Milky Way called. Our planet Earth in the Galaxy Milky Way is only the sand. During the content of the site, then the time the moments appear that it would seem to write a long time ago, but they have forgotten, they did not have time or switched to something else. Today we will try to fill out one of these niches. Today is our topic Galaxy Milky Way.
Once people thought that the center of the world was land. Over time, such an opinion was recognized by erroneous and began to consider the center of all the sun. But then it turned out that the luminous, giving life to the whole living on the Blue Planet, is not a center of outer space, but only a tiny sand in the vast ocean of stars.
Cosmos, Galaxy, Milky Way
Disseminated by the human eye space includes the myriads of the stars. All of them are combined into a huge star system, which is called very beautiful and intriguing - the Milky Way Galaxy. From the Earth, this celestial splendor is observed in the form of a wide blessed strip, dimly glowing in the celestial sphere.
It stretches through everything north hemisphere And crosses the constellations of twins, ease, cassiophei, chanterelles, swan, calf, eagle, arrows, Cefhea. The southern hemisphere is going through the constellation of the unicorn, the southern cross, southern triangle, scorpion, sorry, sails, circulation.
If you are armed with a telescope and look through it for the night sky, then the picture will be different. A wide blessed strip will turn into a rapid amount of luminous stars. Their weak distant messing light will tell of the greatness of the greatness and endless spaces of space, will force their breath and realize all the insignificance and no time of momentary human problems.
Milky way called Galaxy or a giant starry system. According to calculations, currently increasingly inclined to a figure of 400 billion stars on the Milky Way. All these stars move on closed orbits. They are connected with each other with gravity forces, and most of them have planets. Stars in aggregate with planets form star systems. Such systems are with one star (solar system), double (Sirius - two stars), triple (alpha centaurus). There are four, with five stars, and even with the family.
Milky Disc Form
The structure of the Milky Way
All this is countless diversity of starry systems that make up the Milky Way, not scattered by space space As it fell, and united in a tremendous education, having a disc shape with thickening in the middle. The diameter of the disk is 100,000 light years (one light year corresponds to the distance that lights over the year is approximately 10¹ ³ km) or 30,659 parses (one parseka is 3,2616 light years). The thickness of the disk is equal to several thousand years of light years, and its mass exceeds the mass of the sun in 3 × 10) times.
The mass of the Milky Way adds from the mass of stars, inter-peasant gas, dust clouds and halo, having a form of a huge sphere consisting of a rarefied hot gas, stars and dark matter. Dark matter seems to be a combination of hypothetical space objects, which consists of 95% of the entire universe. These mysterious objects are invisible and do not respond to modern technical detection tools.
On the presence of dark matter can be guessing only by its gravitational effect on visible clusters of the Suns. Such, available for observation, not so much. Human eye, even reinforced by a powerful telescope, can contemplate only two billion stars. All the rest of the outer space is hidden by huge impermeable clouds consisting of interstellar dust and gas.
Thickening ( balja) In the central part of the disk, the Milky Way is called a galactic center or core. In it on very elongated orbits, billions of old stars are moving. Their mass is very large and estimated at 10 billion mass of the Suns. The sizes of the kernel are not so impressive. It is in the diameter of 8000 parses.
Core of galaxies - It is a bright shining ball. If the earthlings could observe him in the sky, then the giant glowing ellipsoid would appear to their eyes, which would be more than a hundred times in its sizes. Unfortunately, it is a beautiful and most magnificent spectacle inaccessible to people due to powerful gas and dust clouds that overshadow the galactic center from the planet Earth.
At a distance of 3000 parses from the center of the Galaxy there is a gas ring having a width of 1,500 parses and with a mass of 100 million masses of the Suns. It is here that it is assumed that the central formation of new stars is located. From her there are gas sleeves about 4 thousand parses long. In the very center of the kernel there is black hole , weighing more than three million suns.
Galactic disk In its structure, heterogeneous. It has separate areas with high density that are represented by spiral sleeves. They continue the continuous process of formation of new stars, and the sleeves themselves are drawn along the nucleus and as if enhancing him with a semicircle. Currently, there are five numbers. This is a sleeve of swan, the sleeve of Perseus, the sleeve of the centaution and sleeve of Sagittarius. In the fifth sleeve - orion sleeve - There is a solar system.
Note - this is a spiral structure. Increasingly, people notice this structure literally everywhere. Many will be surprised, but the trajectory of our flight with you also there are spiral!
From the galactic kernel, it separates 28,000 light years. Around the center of the Galaxy, the sun with its planets is becoming at a speed of 220 km / s, and the full turn is done for 220 million years. True there is another figure - 250 million years.
The solar system is located just below the galactic equator, and in its orbit, it moves not exactly and calmly, but as if bouncing. Once every 33 million, it crosses the Galactic Equator and rises above it at a distance of 230 light years. Then it drops back to repeat its takeoffs after another period of 33 million years.
The galactic disk rotates, but it does not rotate as a single body. The kernel rotates faster, the spiral sleeves in the disc plane slower. Naturally, a natural question arises: why spiral sleeves are not twisted around the center of the Galaxy, and always remain the same form and configuration for a long time for 12 billion years (the age of the Milky Way is estimated in such a figure).
There is a certain theory that is quite plausible explains this phenomenon. It examines the spiral sleeves not as material objects, but as a wave of density of substances arising in a galactic background. This is caused by the stars and the birth of high luminosity stars. In other words, the rotation of the spiral sleeves has nothing to do with the movement of the stars in its galactic orbits.
The latter, only pass through the sleeves either ahead of them in speed, if you are closer to the Galactic Center, or behind the lagging, if arranged in the peripheral regions of the Milky Way. The outlines of these spiral waves give brightest starswho have very short life And manage to live it without leaving the sleeve.
As can be seen from the foregoing, the Milky Way is the most complicated cosmic formation, but it is not limited to the surface of the disk. There is a huge cloud of spherical shape around. halo). It includes: sparse hot gases, separate stars, ball stars, dwarf galaxies and dark matter. On the outskirts of the Milky Way there are dense gas clouds. Their length is several thousand light years, the temperature reaches 10,000 degrees, and the mass is equal to at least ten million suns.
Neighbors of the galaxy Milky Way
In the boundless space, the Milky Way is far from alone. At a distance of 772 thousand parses from it there is an even more huge star system. It is called Andromeda galaxy (You can more romantic - Andromeda Nebula). She is known from ancient times as "a little celestial cloud, easily distinguishable in the dark night." Even at the beginning of the XVII century, religious astronomers believed that "in this place, the crystal tightly ending with usual, and the light of the kingdom of heaven is poured through it." 
Andromeda Nebula is the only galaxy that can be seen in the sky. non-equipped eye. It seems like a small oval luminous speck. Light in it is unevenly distributed: the central part is brighter. If you strengthen the eyes of the telescope, then the spot will turn into a gigantic star system, the diameter of which is 150 thousand light years. It is larger than the diameter of the Milky Way one and a half times.
Dangerous neighbor
But non-dimensions are different from the galaxy, in which there is a solar system. Back in 1991, the planetary camera of the cosmic telescope. Hubble recorded the presence of two nuclei. Moreover, one of them is smaller in size and rotates around the other, larger and bright, gradually destroying under the action of the tidal forces of the latter. This slow agony of one of the core suggests that it is the residue of some other galaxy, absorbed by Andromeda.
For many, it will be an unpleasant surprise to find out that the Andromeda nebula moves towards the Milky Way, and it means that in the direction of the solar system. The rate of rapproche is about 140 km / s. Accordingly, a meeting of two stars giants will take place somewhere in 2.5-3 billion years. It will not be a meeting on the Elbe, but not a global cosmic scale catastrophe.
Two galaxies simply merge into one. But which of them will dominate - here the scales are inclined in favor of Andromeda. It has a greater mass, besides, she already has experience of absorption of other galactic systems.
As for the solar system, then the forecasts differ. The most pessimistic indicates that the sun with all the planets will be simply thrown into the intergalactic space, that is, it does not exist in a new education.
But maybe it is for the better. After all, it is clear that Andromeda Galaxy is a sort of bloodthirsty monster devouring like that. By absorbing the Milky Way and destroying it the kernel, the nebula will turn into a huge nebula and will continue his way through the universes of the Universe, we have all new and new galaxies. The final result of this journey will collapse, incredibly swelling, beyond the gigantic star system.
Andromeda nebula will fall apart in countless small stars, just repeating the fate of huge empires of human civilization, which first grow up to unprecedented sizes, and then collapsed with the crash, not to withstand the goods of their own greed, koresti and power.
But you should not bother the events of the coming tragedies. It is better to consider another galaxy that is called name Triangle galaxies. She spread out in the open spaces of the Universe at a distance of 730 thousand parses from the Milky Way and in its sizes is inferior to the last twice, and by weight, it is not less than seven times by weight. That is, it is an ordinary medium galaxy, which are a great set in space.
All these three star systems, in the coupe, with several dozens of dwarf galaxies, are included in the so-called local group, and the one is part of Ultrasounding of the Virgin - Huge star education, the sizes of which are 200 million light years.
Milky Way, the nebula of Andromeda and the galaxy of the triangle have a lot of common features. All of them belong to the so-called spiral galaxies. They are flat and consist of young stars, scattered star clusters and an interior substance. In the center of each disk there is thickening (balje). The main sign definitely is the presence of bright spiral sleeves containing many young and hot stars.
The cores of these galaxies are also similar to the accumulation of old stars and gas rings, in which new stars originate. The constant attribute of the central part of each nucleus is the presence of a black hole with a very large mass. It has already been mentioned that the mass of the Milky Way's black hole corresponds to more than three millions of the mass of the Suns.
Black holes - One of the most impenetrable mysteries of the Universe. Of course, they are observed for them, they are studied, but these mysterious formations are in no hurry to open their secrets. It is known that black holes have a very large density, and their gravitational field is so powerful that even the light cannot break out of them out.
But any cosmic body, which turned out to be in the zone of influence of one of them ( threshold of events), will be immediately "swallowed" by this terrible universal monster. What will be further fate "Unfortunate" is unknown. In a word, in the black hole it is easy to get, but it is impossible to get out of there.
A lot of black holes are scattered across spaces of space, some of them have a lot, many times higher than a mass of black hole in the center of the Milky Way. But this does not say that "native" for the solar system of the monster is innocent of its larger colleagues. It is also unsaturated and blood-blooded and is a compact (diameter equal to 12.5 light hours) and a powerful source of X-ray radiation.
The name of it mysterious object Sagittarius A.. The mass of it was already called - more than 3 million masses of the Suns, and the gravitational trap (the threshold of events) of the baby is measured in 68 astronomical units (1 or. E. Equals the average distance of the earth from the Sun). It is within these limits that the boundary of his bloodthirstiness and cunning in relation to various cosmic bodies, which, due to a number of reasons, is frivolously intersect.
Someone probably naively thinks that the baby is content with random victims - nothing like this: he has a permanent power supply. This is the star S2. It rotates around a black hole in a very compact orbit - the full turn is only 15.6 years. The maximum removal of S2 from a terrible monster lies within 5 light days, and the minimum is only 17 light hours.
Under the action of the tidal forces of a black hole, a part of its substance is cut down from the stars doomed huge speed flies towards this terrible cosmic monster. As the approximation approaches, the substance passes into the state of the raw plasma and, radiating the farewell bright radiance, forever disappears in the insatiable invisible abyss.
But this is not all: the cunning of a black hole has no boundaries. Next to it there is another, less massive and dense black hole. In Yo, the task is to customize to his more powerful college stars, planets, inter-storage dust and gas clouds. All this also turns into a plasma, radiates bright light and disappears to nowhere.
However, not all scientists, despite the evidential bloody interpretation of events, adhere to the opinion that black holes exist. Some argue that it is drunk under a cold dense shell, an unknown mass. It has a huge density and dries from the inside compressing it with incredible power surface. This education is called gravastar - Gravitational Star.
Under this model are trying to adjust the entire universe, thus explaining its expansion. Supporters of this concept argue that the outer space is a giant bubble inflated by an unknown force. That is, the whole space is a huge gravistor, in which smaller models of gravastors coexist, periodically absorb individual stars and other education.
The absorbed bodies are thrown into other space spaces, which are essentially invisible, as they do not produce light from under the absolutely black shell. Maybe gravastors, these are different measurements or parallel Worlds? A specific answer to this question will not be found very, very long.
But not only the presence or absence of black holes occupies the minds of the researchers of outer space. Much more interesting and exciting are reflections on the existence of a reasonable life in other star systems of the universe.
Giving earthly life The sun rotates among the many other Suns of the Milky Way. His disc is visible from the ground in the form of a pale shining strip, sliding the celestial sphere. These are distant billions and billions of stars, many of whom have their own planetary systems. Is there really no among the countless number of these planets at least one on which reasonable creatures live - the brothers in mind?
The most reasonable suggest that similar to the earthly life may arise on the planet, which rotates around the star of the same class as the sun. There is such a star in the sky, besides, it is in the nearest starry system nearest to the earthly shining. This is Alpha Centauro A, located in the constellation Centaurs. It is visible from the ground with a naked eye, and its distance to the Sun is 4.36 light years.
It would be nice for sure to have reasonable neighbors right under the side. But the desired does not always coincide with the actual. Find signs extraterrestrial civilization, even at a distance in some of the 4-6 light years, the task is quite complicated with the current achievements of the technique. Therefore, it is premature to talk about the existence of any mind in the constellation.
Nowadays, it is possible to only send radio signals into a space distance, hoping that someone unknown will respond to the call of human intelligence. The most powerful radio stations of the world from the first half of the 20th century are stubbornly and nonstopablely engaged in such activities. As a result, the level of Earth's radio emission has significantly increased. The blue planet has become sharply different in its radiation background from all other planets of the solar system.
Signals from the Earth cover the outer space with a radius of at least 90 light years. On the scale of the universe, this is a drop in the sea, but as you know, this little stone sharpens. If somewhere far, far in space there is a highly developed reasonable life, then it, in any case, must once draw their attention to the increased radiation background in the depths of the Milky Way, and on the radio signals running from there. So an interesting phenomenon will not be able to leave indifferent to the inventive minds of aliens.
Accordingly, an active search for signals from space is also established. But the darkness is silent, which indicates that within the Milky Way, there are most likely no reasonable creatures, ready to enter into contact with the residents of the planet Earth, or their technical development Located at a very primitive level. True, another thought, which suggests that highly developed civilization, or civilization, exists, but sends some other signals to the galaxy expanses that earth technical means cannot catch.
Progress on the Blue Planet is steadily developing and improving. Scientists are developing new, very different, ways to transfer information to long distances. All this can give a positive effect. But it is impossible to forget that the expanses of the universe are endless. There are stars, the light from which comes to the Earth through billions of years. In fact, a person sees a picture of the distant past when he is observed in a telescope such an outer object.
It may be that the signal accepted by earthlings from the space will be a voice that has long disappeared extraterrestrial civilization, which lived in those times when neither the solar system nor the Milky Way has not yet existed. The response message from the Earth will fall to aliens, which even in the project was not at the time when such was sent.
Well, it is necessary to take into account the laws of harsh reality. In any case, the search for reason in the distant galactic worlds cannot be discontinued. Not lucky today's generations, lucky. Nadezhda B. this case Never die, and perseverance and perseverance will undoubtedly pay off a hundredfold.
But the development of the galactic space is quite real and relatives. Already in the next century, fast and elegant constellations will fly to the closest constellations. spaceships. Astronauts on their sides will observe the portholes not the planet Earth, but the entire solar system. She will see them in the form of a distant, bright star. But it will be not a cold soulless brilliance of one of the innumerable suns of the galaxy, but the native radiance of the Sun, near which the most invisible, the heating soul of the dust will rotate the mother-earth.
Very soon, the dreams of science writers who were reflected in their works will become an ordinary everyday reality, and a walk through the Milky Way, a rather boring and tedious occupation, like, for example, a trip to the metro car from one end of Moscow to another.
> \u003e\u003e Why our galaxy is called the Milky WayFind out, why our galaxy is called the Milky Way: Who gives galaxies names, first mentions, ancient Greece and Rome, mythology and history of research.
Choose the perfect dark night and just look into the sky. A surprising light strip, accompanied by dust and gas clouds, will appear in front of you. At the moment you admire the native galaxy stretched out at 100,000 light years. In the central part of which the supermassive black hole lives. Its gravitational field is so powerful that even light from his trap. Since this is a spiral galactic type, its sleeves accommodate hundreds of billions of stars (and the sun) are noticeable. But what is the name of our galaxy? Answer: Milky Way.
Age - 13.2 billion years. There are objects more ancient, but nothing damn humanity is so strong as riddles native home. Astronomers watched the sky of millennia, putting forward various assumptions through myths, legends and religion. But where did it arise milky Way Name And who invented him?
The ancient Roman poet Ovid mentioned the Galaxy in his work "Metamorphosis" (8th paragraph): "There is a high bright way when the sky is dark, and it is called the Milky."
The earliest mention can be found in Ancient Greece (800-500 BC). But the exact origin to trace is difficult. The term for the Milky Way began to use in the West another 2500 years ago. So the source to find problematic. However, it can be said that the word itself could occur from the Greek word "Galaxy", since Galactos denotes the "milk heavenly subject."
There was a Greek myth about the origin of our galaxy, which had revealed to us thanks to the work of the artist of the Renaissance Yakopo Tintoretto "The origin of the Milky Way". He found this story in the text of the 10th century "Geoponika". In mythological history, Zeus was described, who attached a little Hercules to the chest of the gera to feed him and make the demigod. Of course, the goddess woke up and pulled away from the baby, shedding breast milk, which imprinted in the sky in the form of the Milky Way.
Astronomers have always had the opportunity to observe the Milky Way galaxy, that's just they did not understand what to do next. Before the appearance of observation devices at the beginning of the 17th century, all galaxies were perceived as nebulae, which in behavior differed from planets and stars. They were considered anomalies that should not spend their time.
The situation was changed by Galileo Galilee, who in 1609 sent a telescope into the sky and was able to consider that all these strange clouds are presented closely located stars.
When the nebulae turned out to be concrete objects, then there was a need to somehow call them to distinguish. But the galaxies are an incredible set, so it is impossible to give names to everyone. With the development of technologies is increasingly. Recent estimates show a figure of 200 billion. Most of them are called the number and alphabetic combination (indications on the location and place in the catalogs).
As soon as humanity realized that there were a lot of such formations, the Milky Way had lost the status of special. Many people think that we exist in the most ordinary galaxy. And although from a scientific point of view, this is so, a simple man inwarder continues to consider a star array with fear or admiration transmitted by many generations. Now you know why our galaxy is called the Milky Way.
The science
Every person has its own idea of \u200b\u200bwhat is a house. For some it is a roof over your head, for the other house is planet Earth, rocky ball, which compensates the outer space in his closed path around the sun.
No matter how big our planet seemed to us, she is just the grave in giant star system, The dimensions of which are difficult to imagine. This star system - Galaxy Milky Way, which can also be called our hometown by right.
Galaxy sleeves
Milky Way - Spiral galaxy with a jumper, which passes in the center of the spiral. Approximately two thirds of all known galaxies are spiral, and two thirds of them have a jumper. That is the Milky Way enters the list the most common galactic.
Spiral galaxies have sleeves that extend from the center, like the wheels, which twist the spirals. Our solar system is located in the central part of one of the sleeves called sleeve Orion.
Orion's sleeve was once considered a small "process" of larger sleeves, such as sleeve Perseus or Sleeve Shield-Centaur. Not so long ago there was a suggestion that Orion's sleeve is indeed branch of Sleeves Perseus And it does not come from the center of the Galaxy.
The problem is that we cannot see our galaxy from. We can observe only those things that are around us, and judge what form the galaxy is, being inside it. However, scientists managed to calculate that this sleeve has a length of approximately 11 thousand light years and thick 3500 light years.
Heavymissive black hole
The smallest supermassive black holes that scientists managed to open, approximately in 200 thousand times Heavy sun. For comparison: ordinary black holes have a lot of everything at 10 timesexceeding the mass of the sun. In the center of the Milky Way there is an incredibly massive black hole, the mass of which is difficult to imagine itself. 
The last 10 years of astronomers watched the activity of the stars in the orbit around the star Sagittarius A., dense region in the center of the spiral of our galaxy. Based on the movement of these stars, it was determined that in the center Sagittarius A *, which is hidden behind a dense cloud of dust and gas,is a supermassive black hole, the mass of which 4.1 million times More Sun Mass!
Animation, presented below, demonstrates the real movement of stars around the black hole from 1997 to 2011 In the area of \u200b\u200bone cubic parseca in the center of our galaxy. When the stars approach the black hole, they make a loop around her at an incredible speed. For example, one of these stars, S 0-2. Moves with speed 18 million kilometers per hour: black hole first attracts it, and then sharply repels.
Most recently, scientists observed how the Gaza cloud approached the black hole and was boring into pieces Its massive gravitational field. Parts of this clouds were absorbed by the hole, and the remaining parts began to resemble long thin macaronins longer than 160 billion kilometers.
Magneticparticles
In addition to the presence of a supermissive all-consuming black hole, the center of our galaxy can boast incredible activity: Old stars die, and new people appear with enviable constancy.
Not so long ago, scientists noticed something else in the Galactic Center - the stream of high-energy particles that extend to the distance 15 thousand Parsek through the galaxy. This distance is approximately half the diameter of the Milky Way.
Particles are invisible to the naked eye, however, with the help of a magnetic image, it can be noted that geasers from particles occupy about two thirds of the visible part of the sky:
What is behind this phenomenon? One million years old stars appeared and disappeared never stoppingaimed at external galaxy sleeves. The total amount of geyser energy is large than the energy of supernova.
Particles move with an incredible speed. Based on the structure of the Astronomer's particle structure built model magnetic field which prevails in our galaxy.
Newstars
How often in our galaxy formed new stars? This issue was asked by the researchers long years. Managed to drive the regions of our galaxy, where there is aluminum-26., Aluminum isotope, which appears in the place where stars are born or dying. Thus, it was possible to find out that every year in the Galaxy Milky Way is born 7 new stars And approximately twice a hundred years large star explodes, forming a supernova.
Galaxy Milky Way is not a manufacturer of the largest number of stars. When a star dies, she highlights such raw materials into space, like hydrogen and helium. Hundreds of thousands of years, these particles are connected to molecular clouds, which ultimately become so dense that their center is destroyed under their own gravity, thus forming a new star.
It looks like a peculiar eco-system: death feeds new life
. Particles of some particular star in the future will be part of a billion new stars. In our galaxy, things are so, so it evolves. This leads to the formation of new conditions under which the likelihood of planets similar to the Earth increases.
Planets Galaxies Milky Way
Despite the constant death and the birth of new stars in our galaxy, their number is calculated: the Milky Way is home to about for 100 billion stars. Based on new studies, scientists suggest that around each star rotates at least one planet or more. That is, in our corner of the universe there is from 100 to 200 billion planets.
Scientists who came to this conclusion were studied the stars of the type red dwarfs spectral class m. These stars are less than our sun. They make up 75 percentof all the stars of the Milky Way. In particular, the researchers paid attention to the star KEPLER -32, Which shelted five planets.
How do astronomers open new planets?Planets, unlike stars, it is difficult to detect, as they do not emit their own light. We can say with confidence that there is a planet around the star, only when she it becomes before his star and overshadows its light.
Kepler -32 stars planets behave just like exoplans rotating around others dwarf star M. They are located about one distance and are similar sizes. That is, the KEPLER -32 system is typical system for our galaxy.
If there are more than 100 billion planets in our galaxy, how many of them are planets, similar to Earth? It turns out, not so much. There are dozens different types Planets: gaza giants, Pulsary planets, brown dwarfs and planets, on which rain drops from the molten metal from the sky. Those planets that consist of stone breeds can be located too far or too close To the star, so they are hardly similar to Earth.
The results of the latest studies have shown that in our galaxy, it turns out that more planets earth typeWhat was assumed early, namely: from 11 to 40 billion. Scientists were taken as an example 42 thousand stars, similar to our sun, and began to look for exoplanets that can rotate around them in the zone where it is not too hot and not too cold. Was found 603 exoplanets, among which 10 Complied search criteria.
Analyzing the stars data, scientists have proven the existence of billions of planets similar to Earth, which they only have to officially open. Theoretically, these planets are able to maintain the temperature for existence on them liquid waterwhich, in turn, will allow you to arise.
Collision of galactic
Even if in the galaxy the Milky Way will constantly form new stars, it will not be able to increase in size, if not getting new Material From somewhere else. And the Milky Way really expands.
Earlier we were not exactly sure how exactly the Galaxy manage to grow, but recent discoveries allowed us to assume that the Milky Way is galaxy-Cannibalom, that is, in the past she absorbed other galaxies and, probably, will do it again, at least as long as any more large galaxy Does not swallow it.
Using a cosmic telescope "Hubble" and information obtained thanks to the photo taken for seven years, scientists discovered the stars from the outer edge of the Milky Way, which moving special way. Instead of moving to the center or from the center of the Galaxy, like other stars, they seem to be drifting at the edge. It is assumed that this star bar is all that remained from another galaxy, which was absorbed by the Milky Way galaxy.
This clash, apparently, happened several billion years ago And, most likely, it is not the last. Considering the speed with which we are moving, our galaxy through 4.5 billion years old Faced with Andromeda Galaxy.
Influence of galaxies of satellites
Although the Milky Way is a spiral galaxy, it is not a completely perfect spiral. In his center there is peculiar bulgewhich appeared as a result of the fact that the molecules of hydrogen gaseous are pulled out of a flat disk of the spiral.
For many years, astronomers broke their heads over why the galaxy has such bulges. It is logical to assume that the gas is drawn into the disk itself, and does not break out. The longer they studied this question, the more confused: the convexity molecules are not only pushed out, but also vibrate at their own frequency.
What can cause such an effect? Today, scientists believe that all wines are dark matter and galaxies - satellites - Magellanovy clouds. These two galaxies are very small: they are combined together. total 2 percent from total mass Milky Way. This is not enough to have an impact on it.
However, when dark matter moves through the clouds, it creates waves, which obviously affect the gravitational attraction, reinforcing it, and hydrogen under the action of this attraction disappears from the center of the Galaxy.
Magellanov are clustered around the Milky Way. The spiral sleeves of the Milky Way under the influence of these galaxies, as it were, pegs in the place where they swim.
Galaxy twins
Although the Milky Way galaxy can be called unique in many respects, it is not a big rarity. In the universe, spiral galaxies prevail. Given the fact that only in the field of our vision is about 170 billion galaxies, It can be assumed that somewhere there are galaxies very similar to our.
And what if somewhere there is a galaxy - an accurate copy of the Milky Way? In 2012, astronomers discovered such a galaxy. She even has two small satellites that rotate around it and exactly match our magtellated clouds. By the way, total 3 percent Spiral galaxies have similar companions whose eyelids are relatively underwrites. Magellanov's clouds most likely dissolve a couple of billion years.
Detect so similar galaxy having satellites, a supermassive black hole in the center and the same dimensions - incredible luck. This galaxy was named NGC 1073. And she is so similar to the Milky Way that astronomers learn her to learn more about our own galaxy. For example, we can see it from the side and thus better imagine what the Milky Way looks like.
Galactic year
On earth a year is the time for which the earth has time to do full turn. Every 365 days we return to the same point. Our solar system rotates around the black hole located in the center of the Galaxy. However, it makes full turn 250 million years. That is, since dinosaurs disappeared, we made only a quarter of full turnover.
In the descriptions of the solar system, it is rarely mentioned that it moves in outer space, like everything in our world. Regarding the center of the Milky Way, the solar system is moving at speeds 792 thousand kilometers per hour. For comparison: if you moved at the same speed, we could commit trip around the world for 3 minutes.
The period of time for which the sun has time to make a complete turn around the center of the Milky Way is called galactic year. It is estimated that the sun has lived only 18 Galactic years.
Ashamed, gentlemen, do not know what our galaxy is called ... any schoolboy knows her name. Our cosmic homeland is called the Milky Way. The name of our galaxy has long been converted by omnipresent prachs - from personal hygiene to children's chocolates have the homicide name "Milky Way". For example, Chocolate "Malkie Wei" or a cosmetic line with milk-contained creams from one little-known company.
Where is our solar system
The Milky Way is a spiral galaxy, which, in turn, is included in the supercountability of the Virgin. The fact that we see the naked eye in the night sky like a walkway from closely pressing flickering stars close to each other is our native galaxy.
The center of our galaxy is located in the constellation Sagittarius. And, most likely, there is a black hole of the monstrous sizes, called Astrophysics Sagittarius A. Around this cosmic monster rotates with a period of 100 years on earthly time of the middle of the average sizes. And thousands of small people are rotating around these two black holes, which are all together forcing the moves of the stars in their orbits.
Our solar system is on the outskirts of the galaxy. That is why we observe our galaxy from the ground in the form of a star walkway at the night sky. The rotation of our shine around the galactic center occurs with a periodicity of about 200 million years.
In the future, our Milky Way will face the neighboring Galaxy of Andromeda, the most famous and bright star of which is Sirius - double Star. Scientists prevent that the solar system will simply pose from this galactic chaos, and it will go to free swimming on the space space for an indefinite amount of time, dragging our blue planet. If by this time the land still remains blue ...