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Anonymous Poster

Locating the galactic center

12/07/2007 3:26 PM

What easily recognizable star most closely indicates the center of our galaxy?
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CSM Engineer
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#1

Re: Locating the galactic center

12/07/2007 5:13 PM

The currently agreed-upon galactic center is an intense radio source in the constellation Sagittarius designated Sagittarius A* (read "a-star"). Its position is RA 17h 45m 40.045s, Dec -29º 0' 27.9", at a distance of about 26,000 light years.

The closest, most easily recognizable star is Delta Sagittarii (aka Kaus Media, Kaus Meridonalis, Media) at RA 18h 20m 59.7s Dec -29° 49' 41", at a distance of about 300 ly. It is a +2.7 magnitude star.

Basically, find the constellation Sagittarius. Where the arm of the Milky Way crosses the constellation and is most intense is the direction of the galactic center.

Happy gazing!

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DavidaRheault
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#5
In reply to #1

Re: Locating the galactic center

12/09/2007 9:07 PM

Just curious, agreed upon by whom?

thanks

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#7
In reply to #5

Re: Locating the galactic center

12/09/2007 10:51 PM

By those who care, of course!

From Wiki:

"Because of cool interstellar dust along the line of sight, the Galactic Center cannot be studied at visible, ultraviolet or soft X-ray wavelengths. The available information about the Galactic Center comes from observations at gamma ray, hard X-ray, infrared, sub-millimetre and radio wavelengths.

Coordinates of Galactic Center were first found by Harlow Shapley in his 1918 study of the distribution of the globular clusters. In the Equatorial coordinate system they are: RA 17h45m40.04s, Dec -29° 00' 28.1" (J2000 epoch).

The complex radio source Sagittarius A appears to be located almost exactly at the Galactic Center, and contains an intense compact radio source, Sagittarius A*, which many astronomers believe may coincide with a supermassive black hole at the center of our Galaxy. Accretion of gas onto the black hole, probably involving a disk around it, would release energy to power the radio source, itself much larger than the black hole. The latter is too small to see with present instruments."

Don't know if it's a matter of a formal poll or something of the like, but it seems to be consistent with the current accepted theory.

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Sparkstation
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#2

Re: Locating the galactic center

12/08/2007 6:22 AM

Sad to say, it cannot be seen from where I live.

Mind you,we do see other stars not visible from the Northern Hemisphere.....

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#8
In reply to #2

Re: Locating the galactic center

12/09/2007 10:58 PM

Yes, I look forward to making it down there to see the Southern Cross some time.

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Sparkstation
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#9
In reply to #8

Re: Locating the galactic center

12/10/2007 12:26 AM

Hi again, CSM Engineer.

The "Southern Cross" is somewhat harder to locate as a Celestial Bearing Point, than the Northern Hemisphere's present Pole Star: Polaris.

Mind you, in a few hundred thousand years things may change.....

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#3

Re: Locating the galactic center

12/08/2007 7:59 AM

If you want to locate stars etc. in the sky, Your Sky is a very handy tool.

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TVP45
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#4

Re: Locating the galactic center

12/09/2007 8:25 PM

Men don't ask directions to the galactic center; we just drive around till we see it and then tell our wives, "See, I wasn't lost."

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#6
In reply to #4

Re: Locating the galactic center

12/09/2007 9:39 PM

Years ago, I was surprised to discover that men are able to spatially locate places better than women.

Something to do with the men having to be the hunters, and then get home once more, being able to advise others how to return to a particular place.

Women often have trouble reading road maps, and then more trouble folding them after use.

Don't get me wrong,I like women, I even married one.....

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Anonymous Poster
#10

Re: Locating the galactic center

12/13/2007 10:20 AM

URANUS.... of course....
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