Andromeda or Milky Way?

[igorsboss]

Which is more massive, Andromeda or the Milky Way?

 

[vogon13]

Andromeda <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[centsworth_II]

Dang! You mean our sun is an average star AND our galaxy is also average? I'm starting to get an inferiority complex. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[kmarinas86]

Our galaxy is also located in an average "local group" <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />

 

[thugfella]

andromeda

 

[mandy_sgra]

Andromeda

 

[lewcos]

Average is what works. <br /><br />Too far left and you're a whacko. Too far right and you're another whacko. <br /><br />Too close to the sun you will burn, too far away you will freeze.<br /><br />Too much water you drown, not enough you shrivel up.<br /><br />"Average" may be the "key" to life!

 

[centsworth_II]

<font color="yellow">"Average is what works."</font><br /><br />Ahhh... so rather than "average", we should think of oursevles as "just right"!<br />That goes right along with the Goldilocks origin of life idea. Now I feel better. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[cygnusx2]

Here's another opinion...<br /><br />http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/bib_query?2000MNRAS.316..929E

 

[votefornimitz]

Well, it is a Main-sequence star eddie, and in being so, is classified with 90% of the stars in the galaxy, 90% is prettyy average to me. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <span style="color:#993366">In the event of a full scale nuclear war or NEO impact event, there are two categories of underground shelters available to the public, distinguished by depth underground: bunkers and graves...</span> </div>

 

[igorsboss]

That paper, from 2000, may have been recently invalidated by the very recent finding that Andromeda turns out to be larger than previously expected. This news is what prompted my question.

 

[igorsboss]

Nim, from one mad scientist to another, mad doesn't have to mean angry...<br /><br />Every mad scientist has an experiment which, if carried out, would yield dire consequenses, but only the evil ones actually attempt them...

 

[cygnusx2]

Maybe I'm showing my ignorance here but, I don't see how the radial velocities of M31's satellite galaxies are diminished in importance vis-a-vis the newer findings of linear dimensions. Mass is mass, right?

 

[nexium]

Main stream astronomers have supposed Andomeda larger for at least 30 years. The new anouncement adds at least slight confirmation. By most reasonable thinking, our earth, sun, solar system and galaxy are not average. Earth is the largest of the terestrial planets with the highest gravity, about a tie for highest density, the only one with a large moon. Only about 5% of the stars have more mass than our sun. Only about 5% of the galaxies have more mass/ larger diameter than our galaxy. It is debatable if the mass of the black hole at the center (nor dark energy/dark matter) should be added to the visable mass. IMO that is sort of like adding the mass of the catsup bottle to the net weight of the catsup.<br />I agree, biggest has little correlation to best. Average is often more functional. Neil