A cosmology question. Every single star we see at night unaided is within our own Milky Way galaxy. There is only one galaxy (I was told only if you don't count the Magellanic Clouds or the Triangulum galaxy... but the point mostly stands) capable of being seen with the naked eye, Andromeda, our closest neighboring major galaxy, which is around 2.5 million light years away (that's a whole lot of empty space). If we were in a spacecraft halfway between the Milky Way and Andromeda, what would our view be like? Would it look about the same as our own night sky, except instead of being full of stars we would be seeing galaxies all around that merely looked liked stars as their distance was so great? Would the density of these celestial bodies be about the same as we view in our own region of space, say from a vantage point somewhere in our solar system, or would it be remarkably different, whether a higher or lower density?
[Edited for correct distance to Andromeda]
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BufftonBeotch
Level 8
Apr 10, 2018
0
I think we would see both the Andromeda galaxy and the Milky Way at roughly equal brightness, and the Magellanic Clouds also. Without instruments, we would see very little else. Furthermore, there are some enormous voids among the galaxies. If we were in one of these voids without instruments, I don't think we would see a damn thing. We would see neither stars nor galaxies — the sky would be utterly black.
Coffeo
Level 8
Apr 10, 2018
3
When we look at our sky we see lots of stars, and the Magellanic couds, which are parts of the Milky Way. If we were far enough away from Andromeda we could see it as a whole galaxy. It is also a spiral arm galaxy. This simulation shows Andromeda as well as an unnamed circular galaxy above it. The proximity to and size of the celestial bodies determines how well we see them.
Rugglesby
Level 8
Apr 10, 2018
1
Are we there yet?
BufftonBeotch
Level 8
Apr 10, 2018
3
Don't make me turn this starship around!
Well, there is also the idea that even at light speed you are speaking of maybe a third or fourth generation born and raised on a ship that are going to have an obviously very different culture and outlook.
But I think between galaxies as that might be very cold and barren. Like the darkest highway ever.
BufftonBeotch
Level 8
Apr 10, 2018
4
I agree, but at near-light speed, because of time dilation, you could theoretically be there in next to no time.
@NoTimeForBS Not true. The original post states Andromeda is 250 Million LYs away, meaning that even at the speed of light, it would still take you 125 million years to get there. The time dilation affect would mean everyone you knew back home would long be dead.
Hi godef. That's not quite correct. It would take at least 125 million years as viewed from earth, but from the traveller's point of view it would take less. If they went at light-speed all the way it would take them no time at all in their own frame of reference (which is the one the OP is referring to). Spacetime is non-intuitive. You can check out the twin paradox if you don't already know it.
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