Uncle John here: Last time I posted I asked whether we were crossing the plane of the ecliptic of the galaxy and was informed that we were not. Thanks for that.
Now I run into another story that our solar system is not even a member of the Milky Way. This seems extreme. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Internet article follow:
An incredible story, if valid. We actually belong to an overarching Sagittarius Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy and not really the Milky Way, which we are in the process of "joining," or "marrying", depending on your point of view.
http://viewzone.com/milkyway.html
Quote:
"Using volumes of data from the Two-Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS), a major project to survey the sky in infrared light led by the University of Massachusetts, the astronomers are answering questions that have baffled scientists for decades and proving that our own Milky Way is consuming one of its neighbors in a dramatic display of ongoing galactic cannibalism. The study published in the Astrophysical Journal, is the first to map the full extent of the Sagittarius galaxy and show in visually vivid detail how its debris wraps around and passes through our Milky Way. Sagittarius is 10,000 times smaller in mass than the Milky Way, so it is getting stretched out, torn apart and gobbled up by the bigger Milky Way."
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