ALT.SF4M

  Surprising Local Cluster Fact

   • j********o@***.com
     28/11/2000 00:00:000 UTC

     The Andromeda galaxy is only 2.5 Million light years distant, yet a
     typical

     spiral galaxy is 100,000 l.y. in diameter. I had once noted and been
     surprised

     by this ratio of only 25:1, but hadn't quite put together to obvious
     visual

     implication (which was spelled out in my trusty astro text): 25:1 means
     that

     the apparent size of our neighbor is akin to that of a quarter held
     (almost

     edge-wise) at arm's length. That's huge! The area of five full Moons:
     the

     little smudge visible in the constellation Andromeda is just the tiny
     bright

     core of the central bulge, while the real extent of the spiral must be
     the size

     of a small constellation. This was all inspired by the TV show of the
     same

     name - I had forgotten that Andromeda was bigger than us: let's cut
     those

     bullies down to size!

     Gorno

       • j********o@***.com
         01/12/2000 05:24:20 UTC

         Courtesy of Doc:

         << Maffei I is also PGC10217 and UGCA39. It is in

         Cassiopeia not far from the double cluster. >>

         It probably doesn't have a coloful name because it's obscured behind
         the Milky

         Way and can't have been seen until recently (hence, the latter-day
         catalog

         registries).

         Interestingly, since Andromeda sits in the sky not far from the band
         of the

         Milky Way, their view of us must be similar to our view of them,
         while the

         viewer in Maffei I sees us edge-on. Maffei I is on the other side of

         Andromeda, and about 50% closer to it than we are.

         @ @ @

         Maffei I Andromeda Milky Way

         Gorno