# Are We In A Less-Travelled Region of Our galaxy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 23, 2005, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-in-a-less-travelled-region-of-our-galaxy/305083 "2005-05-23T13:46:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2005, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-in-a-less-travelled-region-of-our-galaxy/305083/1 "2005-05-23T13:46:22Z")
From what i understand, our solar system is near the end of the galactic arms (of the Milky Way) galaxy. Is it possible that the reason why we haven’t been visted yet (or cannot intercept the alien’s radio/TV programs), is simply beacuse we are in a sparsely-inhabited region? How about the galactic centers-is there reason to believe that things are happening in those neighborhoods? Are we condemned to be always in a galactic version of eastern Long island? And, are the galactic cores more like manhattan? Somebody also theorized that the more star-rich regions of the galaxy 9like the cores0 are places where evolution runs faster (more radiation, mutations, etc.) So shou,.d we be sending our probes to the core of our galaxy? ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2005, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-in-a-less-travelled-region-of-our-galaxy/305083/2 "2005-05-23T14:02:43Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > So shou,.d we be sending our probes to the core of our galaxy? Given that the Milky Way is something like 100,000 light-years across and the current state of the art in space exploration, sending out probes to traverse any large percentage of it and then report back doesn’t look to be especially productive in the near term. So instead we listen for electromagnetic signals. It may be that the core of the galaxy is buzzing with these, but the civilizations there all have some interesting technology (and some perverse motivation) that restricts their radiation to their local area. But perhaps some may escape and we’ll be able to receive it. For the time being, that looks like the best approach. ---
**Author:** ![citybadger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/45deac/32.png) [@citybadger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/citybadger)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2005, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-in-a-less-travelled-region-of-our-galaxy/305083/3 "2005-05-23T14:23:01Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Are we condemned to be always in a galactic version of eastern Long island? And, are the galactic cores more like manhattan? Were in the Hamptons of the Milky Way? If that were true, rich yuppies from the core would be coming out here to rent asteroids during the galactic summer. ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2005, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-in-a-less-travelled-region-of-our-galaxy/305083/4 "2005-05-23T14:25:56Z")
I don’t think it’s possible for anyone on this planet today to really know the answer to this question. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2005, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-in-a-less-travelled-region-of-our-galaxy/305083/5 "2005-05-23T14:31:10Z")
> [@citybadger](#): > > Were in the Hamptons of the Milky Way? If that were true, rich yuppies from the core would be coming out here to rent asteroids during the galactic summer. Why do you think all those people claim to have seen UFOs? And as for the “anal probes”; pranks by the teenage children of the summer residents. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2005, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-in-a-less-travelled-region-of-our-galaxy/305083/6 "2005-05-23T14:40:29Z")
[New Scientist, May 14, 2005](http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg18624991.200;jsessionid=GOPAJDKHJJFH) > [@](#): > > Location, location, location > IF GALACTIC real-estate agents existed, they’d be keen to market the solar system: a desirable property in a quiet area, with excellent views, rich in chemical commodities, and no trouble from noisy stellar neighbours. > > The sun sits in a suburb about 26,000 light years from the galactic centre - just over halfway out. Our suburban locale is probably no accident. Scientists argue that in order for life to evolve on a planet, it probably needs lots of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium to create molecules with diverse biological functions, and these heavy elements are most abundant towards the centre of the galaxy. So life-forming planetary systems can’t be too far from the galactic core. On the other hand, advanced life has taken billions of years to evolve, so the region needs to be far enough from the galactic centre to avoid being rocked by violent supernova explosions that regularly occur there. > > A team led by Charles Lineweaver at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, showed last year that the habitable middle ground may be surprisingly narrow. Their calculations hint that advanced life could only evolve in a ring between 22,000 and 30,000 light years from the galactic centre, representing just a tenth of the total area of the disc (Science, vol 303, p 59). ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2005, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-in-a-less-travelled-region-of-our-galaxy/305083/7 "2005-05-23T14:45:03Z")
All in the Family 2054 [Archie] I can’t take all dem dere Zeta Reticularians movin’ inta the neighbood der [/Archie] ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Gene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@Soylent\_Gene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Gene)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2005, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-in-a-less-travelled-region-of-our-galaxy/305083/8 "2005-05-23T14:57:44Z")
Two main reasons we havent been visited (lately at least, but probably never): Distance (your question) - It takes too long to accelerate and get anywhere. Time - Recorded history has only been going for about 5,000 yrs. We could have been visited 500 million years ago. What is the likelyhood that there is another technologically advanced organism within 1,000 light years alive at this very moment? practically zero I imagine.