Galactic equator

[GuiLao]

Hello to everyone
My question is- Is our solar system really crossing the equator of our Milkyway?
If so will there much increase of gamma-rays reaching the surfice of earth.

 

[MeteorWayne]

Hi GuiLao. Welcome to Space.com.

This forum (SETI) is not the correct one for this question; SETI is for discussions about the Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence.

I will move it to a better one shortly...I'll send you a PM (see the messages link above the forum list) to tell you where I put it, or you can look at the "Moderator Actions" topic at the top of the SETI forum.

 

[dragon04]

Hello to everyone
My question is- Is our solar system really crossing the equator of our Milkyway?
If so will there much increase of gamma-rays reaching the surfice of earth.

Whether we receive more gamma rays as we pass through the Ecliptic totally depends on whether or not lots of stars are close by when we do pass through it. While there are many more stars packed into the Ecliptic, the distances are so great that we might pass through with little or no effect at all from doing so.

*edited for incorrect content*

 

[MeteorWayne]

Sorry dragon, but that's not correct. The ecliptic refers to the view from earth of the plane of the solar system, not the galaxy.

That said, the plane of the galaxy is such a diffuse line, it's hard to say when we pass it. Whenever it is, it isn't now.

And there is NO evidence that gamma rays are more common then, in fact gamma rays come from many sources. In fact it is far more likely that the rate of COSMIC rays, which have much higher energy, reach a peak when we are furthest from the plane of the galaxy.

 

[neilsox]

My guess is the gamma, galactic cosmic ray flux, and other radiation changes little due to our position relative to the average plane of the galaxy. Radiation in LEO = low Earth orbit could increase briefly about one million time for a wide variety of reasons, but most persons near sea level would likely survive even with a million times increase in space radiation. Cancer rates would however be much higher, for up to a century. Neil

 

[mrbrownn77777]

Great stuff! very interesting indeed!






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[GayleMc]

Thanks for great information.

 

[autoaccidentlawyer]

here is a great link on the Milkyway and gamma rays. Maybe you can get an answer via that site.

Here are the links to the authors of that page: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/rjn.html It seems Gamma rays are the most energetic form of electromagnetic radiation, with more than a hundred thousand times the energy of visible light. Interesting question.
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[Payloadcontroller]

That may pertain to a couple of the Shuttle missions I worked; they did some studies of the polarization of the light in high energies and got some really good imagery of the galactic magfield, hence the poles and equator.

 

[CommonMan]

That may pertain to a couple of the Shuttle missions I worked; they did some studies of the polarization of the light in high energies and got some really good imagery of the galactic magfield, hence the poles and equator.

That sounds interesting. Are you saying they really got imagery of the galactic center? Can you find some and post them? I would like to see them.