Smith's Cloud

[blobrana]

With the help of a University of Wisconsin-Whitewater physics professor and two recent graduates, crucial information has been gathered about a giant cloud of hydrogen gas headed toward the Milky Way Galaxy.

Read more (http://www.uww.edu/spotlight/smiths_cloud.html)

The approaching Smith's Cloud, which measures 11,000 light-years long and 2,500 light-years wide, was discovered in 1963, and is only 8,000 light-years from the milky way.
The resulting collision will occur in 20 to 40 million years...

[Orleander]

...The resulting collision will occur in 20 to 40 million years...

why such a huge gap in time?

[kaneda]

As it is hydrogen and "only" about a million solar masses, not much of a collision. The main point is that it could be utilised in creating new stars by the usual process of compacting such gases.

At 11,000 light years long, it is moving relatively slowly so from first contact with our galaxy till full absorption will presumably take 20,000,000 years.

[draqon]

hey maybe thats an extra fuel for our galaxy.

[blobrana]

Indeed, that is exactly what it is - the extra gas will be absorbed into the milky way and increase the mass and spark off massive star formation.


The cloud is careering towards our galaxy at more than 240km/s and is set to strike the Milky Way at an angle of 45 degrees.

Read more (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/science/nature/7184521.stm)

[Orleander]

As it is hydrogen and "only" about a million solar masses, not much of a collision. The main point is that it could be utilised in creating new stars by the usual process of compacting such gases.

At 11,000 light years long, it is moving relatively slowly so from first contact with our galaxy till full absorption will presumably take 20,000,000 years.

Oh! Thank kaneda. Now I understand :)

[blobrana]

Oh! Thank kaneda. Now I understand :)

The cloud is 8000 light years away, and travelling at only 240km/s in a presumably orbital path; so first contact will be in 20 million years.

[blobrana]

IMAGE (http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/4162/smithcloudry9.jpg)
Credit: NRAO/AUI/NSF

l=40◦, b=−15◦

If viewed from earth the hyper velocity cloud is about 15 degrees long, 30 times the width of the full moon, in the constellation Aquila.

[Orleander]

the pic reminds me of Falkor in The Neverending Story. lol

[kaneda]

It is such a relatively tiny amount of gas and yet the newspapers hyped it up as a "collision".