Thread: Our galaxies spiral arms

Now Its clear noone will know the answer to this for sure. Although, I can't help but to wonder if on some scale. Is the galaxy moving so fast that the spinning causes the spiral arms? In other words, if we looked at say the andromada galaxy with a scope that is 50 times more powerful than anything currently. Maybe even left our solar system and galaxy and traveled closer to it in deep space. Would we see the tremedous speed and the spinning?

Yes, but it creates the question, if we are spinning with that much angular velocity why is there not an equivalent gravitational force? Or maybe there is? If we are naturally travelling at near relativistic speeds maybe the mass of the universe is higher than it should be due to that, hence dark matter (Special Relativity) is due to the Lorentz factor. Its a funny world, rather universe. One day we may unlock its secrets and learn all about it, but I doubt for a very very long time. Who knows we could become Time Lords or something?

Excuse my ignorance but if galaxies are accelerating apart then is not their mass also increasing? If so, hypothetically speaking, then is it possible for galaxies to eventually gain enough speed that their masses reach a point where they they start to attract other galaxies?

Also, are galaxies moving away from each other in a straight line or what appears to be a straight line? Also, pardon my curiousity, can or do galaxies orbit one another?

Under Big Bang Theory, space is expanding, therefore galaxy distances from each other are.

Why would velocity effect the total mass of a galaxy. This is a counter to gravity force and THOUGHT to have nothing to do with gravity or mass which creates gravity. A black hole for instance, has only the gravity of the mass it absorbs.

Galaxy are fragmented units. Long term co-orbiting, such as stars or planets (solid objects) should not be possible. The outer stars in a galaxy would siphon toward the higher gravity. Milky Way Galaxy, ours, has a good many dwarf galaxy (20-30), so to speak orbiting it, but will eventually be absorbed, two of which are in process.

My understanding has always been that a lot of the reason is that a galaxy's mass is distributed widely throughout the area of it. The stars' attractive force on each other is strong enough that they're pulled into arm-like groupings almost as strongly as they're pulled toward the center.

Originally Posted by zinjanthropos

Excuse my ignorance but if galaxies are accelerating apart then is not their mass also increasing? If so, hypothetically speaking, then is it possible for galaxies to eventually gain enough speed that their masses reach a point where they they start to attract other galaxies?

Also, are galaxies moving away from each other in a straight line or what appears to be a straight line? Also, pardon my curiousity, can or do galaxies orbit one another?

That may be a good explanation for the increase in entropy.