Our galaxy is the Milky Way. What is the Milky Way

Space, which we try to explore, is a huge and endless space in which there are dozens, hundreds, thousands of trillion stars, combined into certain groups. Our land does not live by itself. We are part of the solar system, which is a small particle and is part of the Milky Way - larger space education.

Our land, like other Milky Way planets, our star named Sun, like other Milky Way Stars, move in the Universe in a certain order and occupy allocated places. We will try in more detail, what is the structure of the Milky Way, and what are the main features of our galaxy?

The origin of the Milky Way

Our galaxy has its own history, as well as other areas of outer space, and is a product of a universal scale catastrophe. The main theory of origin of the Universe, which today dominates the scientific community - a big explosion. A model that perfectly characterizes the theory of a large explosion - a chain nuclear reaction on a microscopic level. Initially, there was some substance that, by virtue of certain reasons, in one moment came into motion and exploded. On the conditions that led to the beginning of the explosive reaction should not speak. This is far from our understanding. Now the resulting 15 billion years ago, as a result of the cataclysm, the universe is a huge, endless landfill.

Primary explosion products first represented accumulations and gas clouds. In the future, under the influence of gravitational forces and other physical processes, the formation of larger objects of universal scale occurred. Everything happened very quickly through cosmic standards for billions of years. At first there was the formation of stars that formed clusters and were later united in galaxies, the exact number of which is unknown. In terms of its composition, a galactic substance is atoms of hydrogen and helium in the company of other elements that are building materials for the formation of stars and other space objects.

To say exactly, in what place the Universe is the Milky Way, it is not possible, since the center of the Universe is not exactly unknown.

Due to the similarity of the processes that have formed the Universe, our galaxy is very similar in its structure to many others. By type, this is a typical spiral galaxy, the type of objects that is common in the universe in a huge set. In terms of its size, the galaxy is in the golden middle - not small and not huge. Smaller neighbors in the starry house, our galaxy is much larger than those who have colossal sizes.

The same and age of all galaxies that exist in outer space. Our galaxy is almost the same as the Universe and has an age of 14.5 billion years. During this huge period of time, the Milky Way structure has repeatedly changed, it happens today, only imperceptibly, in comparison with the pace of earthly life.

Curious story with the name of our galaxy. Scientists believe that the name of the Milky Way is legendary. This is an attempt to connect the location of the stars in our chaise with an ancient Greek myth about the father of the gods of Kronos, who devoured his own children. The last child, who expected the same sad fate, turned out to be thin and was given to the cormalce on fattening. During feeding, milk splashes fell on the sky, thereby creating a dairy track. Subsequently, scientists and astronomers of all times and peoples converged that our galaxy is really very similar to the dairy road.

Currently, the Milky Way is in the middle of its development cycle. In other words, the space gas and the substance for the formation of new stars are approached by an end. The stars existing at the same time are still young enough. As in the history of the Sun, which is possible through 6-7 billion years to turn into a red giant, our descendants will observe the transformation of other stars and the entire galaxy in general in the red sequence.

To stop our existence, our galaxy may be as a result of the next universal cataclysm. The topics of studies of recent years are focused on the most upcoming future meeting of the Milky Way with the nearest neighbor - Andromeda Galaxy. Probably, the Milky Way after meeting with the Galaxy Andromeda camsulate on several small galaxies. In any case, it will become a reason for the emergence of new stars and reorganize the cosmos nearest to us. It remains only to assume what the fate of the universe and our galaxy in the distant future.

Astrophysical parameters of the Milky Way

In order to imagine how the milky path looks like on the scale of space, it is enough to look at the universe itself and compare the individual parts. Our galaxy enters the subgroup, which in turn is part of the local group, larger education. Here our cosmic megalopolis is adjacent to the galaxies of Andromeda and the triangle. Surroundings of the Trinity make up more than 40 small galaxies. The local group is already part of even larger education and is part of the supercountability of the Virgin. Some argue that these are only approximate assumptions about where our galaxy is located. The scale of formations is so huge that it is almost impossible to imagine it. Today we know the distance to the nearest neighboring galaxies. Other deep space objects are beyond visibility. Only theoretically and mathematically allowed their existence.

The location of the Galaxy became known only due to approximate calculations that determined the distance to the nearest neighbors. Milky Way satellites are dwarf galaxies - small and large magtels cloud. In total, according to scientists, there are up to 14 satellite galaxies, which constitute an escort of an universal chariot called the Milky Way.

As for the foreseeable world, today there is enough information about how our galaxy looks like. The existing model, and together with it and the Milky Way Map, is compiled on the basis of mathematical calculations, the data obtained as a result of astrophysical observations. Each cosmic body or fragment of the galaxy occupies its place. It, as in the universe, only on a smaller scale. The astrophysical parameters of our space metropolis are interesting, and they are impressive.

Our spiral type galaxy with a jumper, which is denoted by the SBBC index on the stellar cards. The diameter of the Milky Way galactic disk is about 50-90 thousand light years or 30 thousand parses. For comparison, the radius of the Galaxy Andromeda is equal to 110 thousand light years across the universe. You can only imagine how much more Milky Way is our neighbor. The size of the same dwarf galaxies closest to the Milky Way are tens of times less than the parameters of our galaxy. Magellanovy clouds have a diameter of only 7-10 thousand light years. In this huge star cycle there are about 200-400 billion stars. These stars are collected in clusters and nebula. Significant part of it is the Milky Way sleeves, in one of which is our solar system.

Everything else is dark matter, space gas clouds and bubbles that fill the interstellar space. The closer to the center of the Galaxy, the more stars, the closer the outer space becomes. Our sun is located in the area of \u200b\u200bspace, consisting of smaller space objects located at a considerable distance from each other.

The mass of the Milky Way is 6x1042 kg, which is trillion times more than the mass of our sun. Almost all the stars inhabiting our star country are located in the plane of one disk, the thickness of which is by different estimates of 1000 light years. It is not possible to find out the exact mass of our galaxy, since most of the visible spectrum of stars is hidden from us sleeves of the Milky Way. In addition, the mass of dark matter, which occupies huge interstellar spaces is unknown.

The distance from the Sun to the center of our galaxy is 27 thousand light years. Being on the relative periphery, the Sun is moving rapidly around the center of the Galaxy, making a full revolution for 240 million years.

The center of the Galaxy has a diameter of 1000 parses and consists of a kernel with an interesting sequence. The center of the nucleus has the form of bulge, in which the largest stars and the accumulation of hot gases are concentrated. It is this area that distinguishes a huge amount of energy that is largely more than radiated billions of stars included in the galaxy. This part of the kernel is the most active and brightest part of the galaxy. At the edges of the kernel there is a jumper, which is the beginning of the sleeves of our galaxy. Such a bridge occurs as a result of the enormous force of gravity caused by the rapid speed of rotation of the galaxy itself.

Considering the central part of the galaxy, the next fact looks like a paradoxical. Scientists for a long time could not understand what was in the center of the Milky Way. It turns out that in the very center of the Star Country called the Milky Way there was a supermassive black hole, the diameter of which is about 140 km. It is where most of the energy released by the core of the Galaxy goes away and the stars are dissolved in this bottomless abyss. The presence of a black hole in the center of the Milky Way suggests that all the processes of education in the universe should sometime end. Matter will turn into antimatter and everything will repeat again. How will this monster will behave in millions and billions of years, black abyss is silent, which indicates that the processes of absorption of matter only are gaining strength.

Two main sleeves of the Galaxy are departed from the center - the shield of the Centaur and Persea. The names of these structural formations received constellations on the sky. In addition to the main sleeves, the galaxy ishing another 5 small sleeves.

Nearest and distant future

The sleeves born with the kernel of the Milky Way spirals are spiral, filling with stars and cosmic material outer space. Here is appropriate an analogy with cosmic bodies that rotate around the Sun in our star system. A huge mass of stars, large and small, clusters and nebulae, cosmic objects of various sizes and nature, spinning on a giant carousel. All of them create a wonderful picture of the starry sky, for which a person looks no longer one thousand years. Studying our galaxy, you should know that the stars in the galaxy live in their laws, being in one of the sleeves of the galaxy, tomorrow they will start the path to the other side, leaving one sleeve and flying to another.

Earth in the Galaxy Milky Way is far from the only planet suitable for life. It is just a particle of dust, the size of an atom, which was lost in the huge star world of our galaxy. There may be a huge amount of such planets that are similar to Earth. It is enough to present the number of stars that somehow have their own star planetary systems. Another life can be far away at the very edge of the Galaxy, in tens of thousands of light years or, on the contrary, to attend the neighboring areas that are hidden from us with the sleeves of the Milky Way.

Away from urban lights, on the dark and transparent September sky is clearly visible to the Milky Way, a wide strip stretching from Zenith to the southern horizon. In the Swan's constellation, it is divided into two streams with dark nebula, it follows through the constellations of chanterelles, arrows and an eagle down, becoming brighter and wider.

The Milky Way is the plane of our galaxy. It is here that in a flat spiral disk focused large stars and gas. Here is also our sun. The center of the Galaxy is in the constellation Sagittarius. Here the Milky Way becomes very wide, spreading to the neighboring constellations of the Snakes and Scorpio. If it were not for dark, absorbing the light of the nebula, in this place we would observe a huge bright spot of light, inferior to the glitter only the sun and the moon.

Inside the Milky Way of Astronomers discovered many interesting objects - diffuse and planetary nebula, scattered and ball star clusters. We will and we will also make a small excursion on the Milky Way, or rather, in that part of it, which is available for observations in August and September from the territory of the CIS countries and Russia. See 14 photos.

Milky Way over Monument Valley (USA). Below we see huge cliffs - the remains. The remains are the rocks of the solid rock, which remained after the water washed away the entire most surrounding their soft material. Two mountains - the closest mountain on the left and the mountain on the right of it are called mittens. At the top of the giant arch spread the Milky Way. Over the left vessel is a swan constellation along with a reddish nebula North America. Next, the Milky Way should be through the constellations of chanterelles, arrows, snakes, eagles and shield, until it is included in the constellation of Sagittarius and Scorpio. Here he becomes the most bright and noticeable. This snapshot became a laureate of the competition Astronomical picture of the day on August 1, 2012. Photo: Wally Pacholka (Astropics.com, Twan) / © apod

Milky Way in the Constellation of Swan. In August-October, this Milky Way section is visible high above his head in the south side of the sky almost throughout the entire territory of the USSR. Here, the clouds of interstellar dust wedge break through a mighty stellar river into two streams. The island of the wedge sparkles the denbel, Alpha Swan. North America nestling is lit with him. Below and rightly Deneba, on the other side of the dark cloud is the region of Gamma Swan with sufficiently bright gas nebula. Two semiring veil nebula - the remainder from the outbreak of a supernovae - visible to the left at the bottom of the photo. Even below (and a little right of a veil) there is a scattered cluster NGC 6940. Photo:

Sky section not far from Nebula North America (NGC 7000) in the Constellation of the Swan. Not far from the center of the picture we see the dark nebula of Barnard 361. The scattered cluster IC 1369 is above the nebula; Externally, it looks like a handful of golden grains. The distance to the accumulation is 6700 s. years. Another dark nebula is visible to the right of the Nebula Barnard 361. It looks like a small oblong spot. Its name is LDN 963. Finally, the fourth landmark is the SH1-89 planetary nebula from the Chargel Astronoma catalog. This reddish spot is slightly higher than the B361 nebula. Photo: Wolfgang Howurek, Walter Koprolin, Nightsky.at

Misty of cocoon in the constellation Swan. The nebula is located in the north of constellations, not far from the border with the constellation lizard. In the form, the nebula really resembles a cocoon in which the star of the 10th star is wrapped. values. It is she who makes the gas, heated by its ultraviolet radiation. Photo:

Neveling Eagle (M16) in the constellation of the snake. In the photo, we see at the same time hot racking gas, glowing under the influence of powerful radiation of young stars, and dark, dense globules, almost not transmitting light. Globes are gas-pepped cocoons inside which stars are formed. Some of the radiation of newborn stars make their way through a dust veil, and then the edges of a dark cocoon start to glow. This is especially noticeable on the example of the central formation of the M16 nebula, known as the pillar of creation. Photo: ADAM BLOCK / MOUNT Lemmon Skycenter / University Of Arizona

Milky Way in the constellation of the snakesman. In many places, gold places of stars are hidden by bizarre dark nebula. A huge black spot in the foreground is the nebula tube. Above it is another well-known nebula - snake. It is small in size, but it can be easily distinguished by characteristic bending. Photo: Éder iván.

Dark Nebula Snake (Object number 72 from the Dark Nebula catalog Edward Barnard) close-up. To the right of it is a whole chain of very dense nebulae - Barnard 68, Barnard 69, 70 and 74 (right below). Photo: Emil Ivanov.

On the edge of the Milky Way in the constellation of the snakes are two ball clusters - M10 and M12. On the edge in the literal and figurative sense, for physically, these ancient accumulations make up the distant periphery of our galaxy, but are projected in such a way that they visually see not far from the clouds of the Milky Way. Photo: Rogerio Bernal Andreo.

There is a small constellation of the shield between the constellations of the Eagle and Sagittarius. The main attraction is the scattered star cluster M11 (wild duck), which is located in the thick of the Milky Way. Photo: Éder iván.

True nebula (trifid) and lagoon in the constellation Sagittarius. The French Hunter for the Comets of the XVIII century Charles Messier made these nebulae into their catalog under the numbers M20 and M8. Trifide and Laguna are two bright objects of deep space, but in moderate latitudes they are very low above the horizon, and therefore it is very problematic to observe them. The left edge of the picture also shows the scattered star cluster M21. Photo: Jordi Gallego.

Lagoon nebula (or M8) close-up. In high resolution images, the nebula shows a complex structure - glowing gas jets, loops and threads, shock waves of density and dark globules. The lagoon nebula in the constellation Sagittarius is another cradle of the stars in our galaxy. The distance to it is estimated at 4100 light years. Photo: ADAM BLOCK / MOUNT Lemmon Skycenter / University Of Arizona

Between nebula, the eagle in the constellation of the snake and the nebulae trifid and the lagoon lies another fairly large and bright cloud of hydrogen - the nebula of Omega or M17. Photo: Harel Boren.

Center of the Galaxy. On this magnificent wide-angle shot immediately several objects that we presented above. In the upper left corner there is a reddish nebula eagle. Low below it is located the nebula of Omega. Even below, we see the oblong stellar cloud M24, to the right of which there is a scattered cluster M23. Finally, on the left in the center there are two more diffuse nebulae - compact triple nebula (or trifid) and bright lagoon nebula. The center of the photo is engaged in a large complex of dark nebulaes led by a nebula tube. Right part of the photo occupies a beautiful region of RO Zmeysenz. It has a bright yellow-orange star - Antares. The observation of this sector of the sky with most of the territory of Russia is associated with great difficulties, as even at the most favorable time it is low above the southern horizon. Photo: Éder iván.

Last glance on the Milky Way in the Sagittar Constellation. Miriad stars scattered in the photo; We mentioned the nebula of the lagoon is visible to the right, and on the left there are two ball accumulations - M28 and M22 (yellow). The stronger cluster of M22 is 2.5 times further than the lagoon nebula, over 10 thousand light years, and consists of a quarter of a million stars. Dust clouds that are halfway between the Earth and M22 significantly weaken the light of this cluster and paint it into a reddish-yellow color. Photo: Rogerio Bernal Andreo.

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 is a Milky Way Galaxy, which can also be called our hometown.

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 of magnetic fieldwhich prevails in our galaxy.

Newstars

How often in our galaxy formed new stars? This issue, researchers were asked for many 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 A major 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 nourishes a 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 star planets behave in the same way as exoplans rotating around other dwarf stars 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 of different types of planets: gas giants, pulsary planets, brown dwarfs and planets, on which rain drops from 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, more planets of the earthly type, which was supposed to be 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 it won't get a 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 is likely to do it again, at least as long as any larger galaxy will absorb 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 the total mass of the 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 were moving at the same speed, we could take a round-the-world journey 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.

Our galaxy. Middle Mysteries

To some extent, we know about distant star systems more than about our native galaxy - the Milky Way. Explore its structure is difficult than the structure of any other galaxies, because it is necessary to study it from the inside, and much is not so easy to see. Interstellar dust clouds absorb the light emitted by the Myriads of remote stars.

Only with the development of radio astronomy and the emergence of infrared telescopes, scientists were able to understand how our galaxy was arranged. But many details remain unclear to this day. Even the number of stars in the Milky Way is estimated quite approximately. The newest electronic reference books call numbers from 100 to 300 billion stars.

Not so long ago it was believed that our galaxy has 4 large sleeves. But in 2008, astronomers from Wisconsin University published the results of processing about 800,000 infrared pictures, which were made by Spacecope "Spitzer". Their analysis showed that the Milky Way is only two sleeves. As for other sleeves, they are just narrow side branches. So, the Milky Way is a spiral galaxy with two sleeves. It should be noted, most of the well-known spiral galaxies are also only two sleeves.

"Thanks to the Spitzer telescope, we have the opportunity to rethink the structure of the Milky Way, - Stressed Astronomer Robert Benjamin from Wisconsin University, speaking at the Conference of the American Astronomical Society. "We clarify our idea of \u200b\u200bthe galaxy in the same way as the centuries ago, the discovers, making traveling around the globe, clarified and rethought the previous ideas about how the Earth looks like."

Since the beginning of the 90s of the 20th century, observations carried out in the infrared range are increasingly changing our knowledge about the structure of the Milky Way, because infrared telescopes make it possible to look through gas-pepped clouds and see what is not available for ordinary telescopes.

2004 - the age of our galaxy was estimated at 13.6 billion years. It arose soon after. Initially, it was a diffuse gas bubble, which contained mainly hydrogen and helium. Over time, he turned into a huge spiral galaxy in which we now live.

general characteristics

But how did the evolution of our galaxy flowed? How was it formed - slowly or, on the contrary, very fast? How was she saturated with heavy elements? How changed billions of years the form of the Milky Way and its chemical composition? Detailed answers to these questions have yet to give scientists.

The length of our galaxy is about 100,000 light years, and the average thickness of the galactic disk is about 3,000 light years (the thickness of its part is the Balza - reaches 16,000 light years). However, in 2008, Australian astronomer Brian General, analyzing the results of observations of pulsars, suggested that, probably, a galactic disk is twice as thickening than it is considered.

Is our galaxy on cosmic standards? For comparison: the length of the nebula of Andromeda, the closest galaxy nearest to us is approximately 150,000 light years.

At the end of 2008, researchers have established radio astronomy methods that the Milky Way rotates faster than previously assumed. Judging by this indicator, its mass is approximately one and a half times higher than was considered to be considered. According to different estimates, it varies from 1.0 to 1.9 trillion solar masses. Again, for comparison: Andromeda nebula is estimated at least 1.2 trillion solar masses.

The structure of galactic

Black hole

So, the Milky Way is not inferior to the size of Andromeda nebula. "We should not apply to our galaxy as the younger sister of Andromeda nebula," said Astronomer Mark Raid from the Smithsonian Center of Astrophysics at Harvard University. At the same time, since the mass of our galaxy is greater than it was supposed, the strength of its attraction is also higher, which means that it also increases the likelihood of its collision with other galaxies located near us.

Our galaxy surrounds spherical halo, reaching 165,000 light years in the diameter. Astronomers are sometimes called the Galactic Atmosphere halo. It contains approximately 150 ball clusters, as well as a small amount of ancient stars. All the rest of the Galo space is filled with rarefied gas, as well as a dark substance. The mass of the latter is estimated at approximately the trillion of the solar masses.

In the spiral sleeves of the Milky Way contains a huge amount of hydrogen. It is here that the stars continue to emerge. Over time, young stars leave the galaxic sleeves and "move" into a galactic disk. However, the most massive and bright stars live quite shortly, therefore do not have time to retire from the place of birth. It is no coincidence that our galaxy sleeves are so bright. The larger part of the Milky Way consists of small, not very massive stars.

The central part of the Milky Way is located in the constellation Sagittarius. This area is surrounded by dark gas-pepped clouds, for which it is impossible to see anything. Only since the 1950s, using radio astronomy, scientists were able to gradually consider what lurks there. In this part of the galaxy, a powerful radio source was discovered, called Sagittarius A. As the observations showed, a mass is concentrated here, superior to the mass of the Sun several million times. The most acceptable explanation of this fact is possible only one thing: in the center of our galaxy is located.

Now she for some reason has arranged a breather and does not show special activity. The influx of substances here is very zubud. Maybe over time, the black hole awakens appetite. Then she will again begin to absorb the gas and dust veins surrounding it, and the Milky Way will replenish the list of active galaxies. It is possible that in front of it in the center of the Galaxy will begin to bore the stars. Such processes are probably repeated regularly.

2010 - American astronomers with the help of the Fermi Space Telescope, designed to observe the sources of gamma radiation, found two mysterious structures in our galaxy - two huge bubbles emitting gamma radiation. The diameter of each of them is an average of 25,000 light years. They scatter from the center of the Galaxy in the North and South directions. Maybe we are talking about the flows of particles that the once black hole was emptied, located in the middle of the galaxy. Other researchers believe that we are talking about gas clouds that exploded with the origin of stars.

There are several dwarf galaxies around the Milky Way. The most famous of them are a large and small magtel clouds that are associated with the Milky through a kind of hydrogen bridge, a huge loop of gas, which stretches for these galaxies. He got the name "Magellanov Flood". Its length is about 300,000 light years. Our galaxy constantly absorbs the nearest dwarf galaxies, in particular, the galaxy of Sagitarius, which is located at a distance of 50,000 light years from the Galactic Center.

It remains to add that the Milky Way and the Nebula Andromeda move towards each other. Presumably after 3 billion years of years, both galaxies are together together, forming a larger elliptical galaxy, which has already been called "Milchland".

The origin of the Milky Way

Andromeda's nebula

Throughout a long time it was believed that the Milky Way was formed gradually. 1962 - Olin Eggen, Donald Linden-Bell and Allan Seddenz offered a hypothesis, which became known as the ELS model (it was called on the initial letters of their surnames). According to her, at the place of the Milky Way, a homogeneous gas cloud was once rotated. It resembled a ball and reached about 300,000 light years in diameter, and consisted mainly of hydrogen and helium. Under the action of gravity, the protoglactic was squeezed and became flat; In this case, its rotation was noticeably accelerated.

Almost two decades such a model arranged scientists. But new results of observations showed that the Milky Way could not arise as he was prescribed theorists.

According to this model, halo is formed first, and then a galactic disk. But there are also very ancient stars in the disk, for example, a red giant of Arcturus, whose age is more than 10 billion years old, or numerous white dwarfs of the same age.

Both in the galactic disk, and in halo, the ball clusters were found, which are younger than the ELS model allows. Obviously, they are absorbed in our galaxy late.

Many stars in the halo rotate in another direction than the Milky Way. Maybe they also were once outside the galaxy, but then they were drawn into this "star whirlwind" - as if a random swimmer in the whirlpool.

1978 - Leonard Sirl and Robert Zinn offered their model for the formation of the Milky Way. It was designated as "model SZ". Now the history of the Galaxy is noticeably complicated. Not so long ago, her youth, in the representation of astronomers, was described as simply as in the opinion of physicists - a rectilinear translational movement. The mechanics of what is happening was clearly visible: there was a homogeneous cloud; It consisted only from evenly spilled gas. Nothing complicated theoretics calculations with his presence.

Now instead of one huge clouds in the vision of scientists, several small, bizarrely scattered clouds occurred. Among them were visible and stars; True, they were located only in halo. Inside the halo, all boiled: the clouds faced; Gas masses were stirred and compacted. Over time, a galactic disk was formed from this mixture. It began to appear new stars. But this model was subsequently criticized.

It was impossible to understand that the halo and a galactic disk tied. This condensed disk and a relaxed star sheath around him had little in common. Already after Sirl and Zinn compiled their model, it turned out that halo rotates too slowly so that a galactic disk is formed from it. Judging by the distribution of chemical elements, the latter appeared from the protoglactic gas. Finally, the moment of the amount of disk movement turned out to be 10 times higher than halo.

The whole secret is that both models contain the grain of truth. The whole trouble is that they are too simple and unilateral. Both of them seem now fragments of the same recipe for which the Milky Way was created. Eggen and his colleagues read several lines from this recipe, sirel and zinn - several others. Therefore, trying to re-present the story of our galaxy, we also notice the familiar, already cleaned once strings.

Milky Way. Computer model

So, it all started soon after a large explosion. "Today it is customary to believe that the fluctuations of the density of the dark substance gave rise to the first structures - the so-called dark halo. Thanks to the power of gravity, these structures did not disintegrate, "said the German astronomer Andreas Burkert, the author of the new Galaxy birth model.

Dark halo became embryos - nuclei - future galaxies. Around them under the influence of gravity accumulated gas. There was a homogeneous collapse, as the ELS model describes it. Already 500-1000 million years after a large explosion, gas clusters surrounding the dark halo were "incubators" of stars. There are small protoglakics here. In tight clouds of gas, the first ball clusters arose, because the stars here were born hundreds of times more often than anywhere else. The protoglactics came across and merged with each other - so large galaxies were formed, including our Milky Way. Today it is surrounded by a dark substance and a halo, consisting of single stars and their ball clusters, these ruins of the universe, whose age exceeds 12 billion years.

There were many very massive stars in protoglactics. Almost many tens of millions of years, as most of them exploded. These explosions enriched gas clouds with heavy chemical elements. Therefore, not such stars were born in a galactic disk as in halo, they contain hundreds of times more metals. In addition, these explosions gave rise to powerful galactic vortices, which heated the gas and swept it outside the protoglactic. The separation of gas masses and a dark substance occurred. It was the most important stage of formation of galaxies, not taken into account before any model.

Along with this, dark halo increasingly faced each other. And the protoglactics stretched or disintegrated. These catastrophes resemble the chains of stars, preserved in the Milky Way halo from the times of "youth." Studying their location, it is possible to evaluate the events that took place in that epoch. Gradually, from these stars was formed an extensive sphere - we visible halo. As gas clouds penetrated inside the gas. Their moment of movement has persisted, because they did not complicate in a single point, and formed a rotating disk. All this happened more than 12 billion years ago. Now the gas compressed as it was described in the ELS model.

At this time, the "Balje" of the Milky Way is also formed - its middle part, resembling an ellipsoid. Baldh consists of very old stars. It is likely that it arose when merging the largest protoglactics, longer than all the gas clouds held. In the middle of it turned out to be neutron stars and tiny black holes - the relics of exploding supernovae. They merged with each other, in the passing of gas flows. It may be that a huge black hole was originated, which is now in the center of our galaxy.

The history of the Milky Way is much chaotic than they thought before. Our native galaxy, impressive even on cosmic standards, was formed after a series of shocks and mergers - after a series of space catastrophe. Traces of those long-time events can be discovered today.

So, for example, not all the stars of the Milky Way turn around the Galactic Center. Probably, for billions of years of its existence, our galaxy "swallowed" a lot of fellow travelers. The age of each tenth star in galactic halo is less than 10 billion years. By that time the Milky Way was already formed. Perhaps this is the remains of the captured once dwarf galaxies. A group of English scientists from the Astronomical Institute (Cambridge), led by Gerard Gilmor, estimated that the Milky Way was obviously able to absorb from 40 to 60 dwarf galaxies of the Karina type.

In addition, the Milky Way attracts huge masses of gas. So, in 1958, the Netherlands astronomers noticed in halo many small spots. They turned out to be gas clouds, which consisted mainly of hydrogen atoms and rushed towards the galactic disk.

Our galaxy will not take their appetite and continue. Perhaps she will absorb the dwarf galaxies closest to us - Fornax, Karina and, probably, the sexes, and after the Andromeda negging. Around the Milky Way - this insatiable "Star Cannibal" - will become more deserted.

In our age, illuminated by hundreds of electrical lights, residents of the city do not have the opportunity to see the Milky Way. This phenomenon that occurs in our chaise only during a certain period of the year, is observed only away from large settlements. In our latitudes, it is especially beautiful in August. In the last month of the summer, the Milky Way rises above the ground in the form of a giant heavenly arch. This weak, blurred light strip is denser and brighter looks in the direction of Scorpio and Sagittarius, and pale and scattering - near and Perseya.

Star mystery

The Milky Way is an unusual phenomenon, the mystery of which was not opened by people throughout the whole string of centuries. In the legends and myths of many nations, it was called differently. The amazing glow was a mysterious star bridge leading to the paradise bush, dear gods and the magic heavenly river carrier of divine milk. At the same time, all nations believed that the Milky Way was something sacred. Sonya worshiped. Even temples were built in honor of him.

Few people know that our New Year tree is the echoes of the cults of people who lived in former times. After all, in antiquity, it was believed that the Milky Way is the axis of the Universe or a worldwide, on the branches of which the stars are ripening. That is why at the beginning of the annual cycle and dressed up the Christmas tree. The earth tree was imitated by the forever fruit-growing churchyard tree. Such a ritual gave hope for the favor of gods and a good harvest. So great was the meaning of the Milky Way for our ancestors.

Scientific assumptions

What is the Milky Way? The history of the opening of this phenomenon has almost 2000 years. Plato also called this strip of light with a suture, binding heavenly hemisphere. In contrast to this, Anaksagoras and demoxide argued that the Milky Way (this is what color, we will look at) - a peculiar illumination of stars. She is the decoration of the night sky. Aristotle explained that the Milky Way is the radiance in the air of our planet of luminous vigorous vapors.

There were many other assumptions. So, Roman Mark Manili said that the Milky Way is the constellation from small heavenly shining. It was he who was closest to the truth, but confirm his assumptions in those times when he was observed only by the unarmed eye, he could not. All ancient researchers believed that the Milky Way was part of the solar system.

Opening Galilee

The Milky Way route was opened only in 1610. It was then that the first telescope was invented that Galileo Galilee was invented. The famous scientist saw in the device that the Milky Way is a real accopriety of stars, which, when considering the naked eye, merged into a solid weakly flickering band. Galileo even managed to explain the inhomogeneity of the structure of this strip.

It was caused by the presence in the heavenly phenomenon not only star clusters. There are dark clouds there. The combination of these two elements and creates an amazing image of the night phenomenon.

Opening of William Herschel

The study of the Milky Way continued in the 18th century. During this period, his most active researcher was William Herschel. The famous composer and musician engaged in the manufacture of telescopes and studied the science of the stars. The great plan of the universe was the most important discovery of Herschel. This scientist watched the planet's telescope and made them counting on different sections of the sky. Studies made it possible to conclude that the Milky Way is a kind of star island in which our sun is located. Herschel even drew a schematic plan of his discovery. In the figure, the star system was depicted in the form of millstones and had an elongated incorrect shape. The sun was inside this ring surrounding our world. That is how our galaxy was represented by all scholars until the beginning of the last century.

Only in the 1920s, the light saw the work of the Karttein Jacobus, in which the Milky Way was described in the most detailed. At the same time, the author was given a Star Island scheme, as much as possible to the one that is currently known to us. Today we know that the Milky Way is a galaxy, which contains a solar system, land and those separate stars, which are visible to man with a naked eye.

The structure of galactic

With the development of science, astronomical telescopes became more powerful and more powerful. At the same time, the structure of the observed galaxies was increasingly clearer. It turned out that they are not like each other. There were incorrect among them. Their structure did not have symmetry.

Also observed the galaxies of elliptical and spiral. What these types do the Milky Way belong? This is our galaxy, and, being inside, to determine its structure is very difficult. However, scientists have found an answer to this question. Now we know what the Milky Way is. Its definition was given by researchers who have established that this is a disk having an inner core.

general characteristics

The Milky Way refers to the galaxies of a spiral type. At the same time, it has a jumper in the form of a huge associated gravitational forces.

It is believed that the Milky Way exists for more than thirteen billion years. This period, during which the Galaxy was formed about 400 billion constellations and stars, over thousands of huge gas nebulaes, clusters and clouds in their size.

The form of the Milky Way is clearly visible on the map of the Universe. When it consideration it becomes clear that this accumulation of stars is a disk, the diameter of which is 100 thousand light years (one such light year is ten trillion kilometers). Thickness - 15 thousand, and the depth is about 8 thousand light years.

How much does the Milky Way weigh? This (determining its mass is a very difficult task) is not possible to calculate. Difficulties causes the determination of the mass of dark matter, which does not interact with electromagnetic radiation. That's why astronomers finally cannot answer this question. But there are gross calculations, according to which, the weight of the galaxy is ranging from 500 to 3000 billion in the mass of the Sun.

Milky Way is similar to all heavenly bodies. He makes turns around his axis, moving in the universe. Astronomers indicate uneven, even chaotic movement of our galaxy. This is due to the fact that each of its members of the star systems and nebulae has its own, different from other speeds, as well as different forms and types of orbits.

What links are the Milky Way? This is the core and jumpers, disk and spiral sleeves, as well as the crown. Consider them in more detail.

Core

This part of the Milky Way is located in the kernel there is a source of non-coordinated radiation, which has a temperature of about ten million degrees. In the center of this part of the Milky Way there is a seal called "Baljem". This is a whole string of old stars, which moves along an elongated orbit. In most part of these celestial bodies, the life cycle is already coming to an end.

In the central part of the Milky Way core, this section of the outer space is located, the weight of which is equal to the mass of three million suns, has a powerful gravity. Another black hole rotates around it, only smaller. Such a system creates so strong that the constellations and stars are nearby make a movement on very unusual trajectories.

The center of the Milky Way has other features. So, for him is characterized by a large accumulation of stars. Moreover, the distance between them is hundreds of times less than that observed on the periphery of education.

Interestingly, observing the nucleus of other galaxies, astronomers celebrate their bright radiance. But why is it not visible in the Milky Way? Some researchers expressed even the assumption of the lack of kernel in our galaxy. However, it was determined that in spiral nebulae there are dark layers, which are interstellar clusters of dust and gas. They are in the Milky Way. These huge sizes are dark clouds and do not give the earthly observer to see the shine of the nucleus. If such an education would not interfere with earthlings, then we could observe the core in the form of a shining ellipsoid, the size of which would exceed the diameter of a hundred lun.

Modern telescopes helped to answer this question, which are capable of working in special ranges of electromagnetic emission spectrum. With this modern technology that was able to bypass the dust shield, the scientist managed to see the core of the Milky Way.

Jumper

This element of the Milky Way crosses its central portion and has a size of 27 thousand light years. A jumper from 22 million red stars with an impressive age consists. Around this formation is a gas ring, which contains a large percentage of molecular oxygen. All this suggests that the jumper of the Milky Way is a plot on which stars are formed in the greatest quantity.

Disk

This form has the Milky Way itself, which is in constant rotational motion. Interestingly, the speed of this process depends on the distance of one or another area from the nucleus. So, in the very center it is zero. At a distance from the nucleus in two thousand light years, the speed of rotation is 250 kilometers per hour.

The outer side of the Milky Way surrounds the layer of atomic hydrogen. Its thickness is 1.5 thousand light years.

On the outskirts of the galaxy astronomers discovered the presence of tight accumulations of gas, which have a temperature of 10 thousand degrees. The thickness of such formations is several thousand light years.

Five spiral sleeves

This is another component of the Milky Ways that are directly behind the gas ring. Spiral sleeves crosses the constellation of Swan and Persea, Orion and Sagittarius, as well as Centaurus. These formations are unevenly filled with molecular gas. Such a composition makes errors in the rules of rotation of the galaxy.
Spiral sleeves come out directly from the core of the Star Island. I observe them with the naked eye, calling the bright lane by the Milky.

Spiral branches are projected by each other, which makes it difficult to understand their device. Scientists assume that such sleeves were formed due to the presence of gigantic waves of the vacuum and compression of interstellar gas, which move from the nucleus to the galactic disk.

Crown

The Milky Way has a spherical halo. This is his crown. This formation consists of separate stars and clusters of constellations. Moreover, the dimensions of spherical halo are such that it goes beyond the borders of the galaxy for 50 light years.

As part of the Crown of the Milky Way, there are usually low-insless and old stars, as well as dwarf galaxies and hot gas accumulations. All these components produce movement on elongated orbits around the kernel, making disorderly rotation.

There is a hypothesis, according to which the occurrence of the crown became a consequence of absorption by the Milky path of small galaxies. According to astronomers, the age of halo is about twelve billion years.

Location of Star

On the cloudless night sky, the Milky Way is visible from any point of our planet. However, only a part of the galaxy is available to the look of man, which is a system of stars located inside Orion sleeves.

What is the Milky Way? The definition in the space of all its parts becomes most understandable if we consider the star card. In this case, it becomes clear that the sun illuminating the earth is located almost on the disk. This is almost the edge of the galaxies, where the distance from the nucleus is 26-28 thousand light years. Moving at a speed of 240 kilometers per hour, the shovel spends on one turn around the core of 200 million years, so for all the time of its existence it traveled through the disk, encroaching the kernel, just thirty times.

Our planet is in the so-called cornist circle. This is a place in which the speed of rotation of the sleeves and stars is identical. This circle is characterized by an increased level of radiation. That is why life, as scientists believe, could only arise on that planet, near which there is a small number of stars.

Such a planet and appeared our land. It is located on the periphery of the galaxy, in her calm place. That is why on our planet for several billion years there were no global cataclysms, which often occur in the universe.

Forecast for the future

Scientists suggest that in the future the collision between the Militaryway and other galaxies, the largest of which is Andromeda's galaxy. But at the same time, it is not possible to specifically talk about anything possible. This requires knowledge of the magnitude of the transverse speeds of extragalactic objects, which are not yet available for modern researchers.

In September 2014, one of the events development models were published in the media. According to it, four billion years will be held, and the Milky Way will absorb Magellan clouds (large and small), and after another billion, he himself will be part of Andromeda Nebula.