When galaxies are photographed or depicted(even our own Milky Way)by astronomers,the center of the galaxies are ablaze with tremendous light as they are supposedly older stars spaced more densely than in the outer spiral arms. Why is it that when I look skyward at night I can’t detect this seemingly tremendous light source, the center of the milky way?
I know it’s far away, but I can see other galaxies much farther away(look like stars to the eye). Intuitively, shouldn’t the center of our galaxy light up the night sky?
When you look towards the center of our galaxy you are looking the long way through the galaxy. There is a heck of a lot of dust and crap in between our position and the center, and visible wavelengths of light are absorbed. If you could see in the radio section of the spectrum the center of the galaxy would appear as one of the brighter objects in the sky.
The neat pictures of other galaxies are seen from angles that show off the center well. See if you can find a photo of a spiral galaxy that is viewed edge-on. You will see a dark band around its equator. That is what we are looking through in our own galaxy.
Dr. Fidelius, Charlatan
Associate Curator Anomalous Paleontology, Miskatonic University
“You cannot reason a man out of a position he did not reach through reason.”
Thanks doc, that makes alot of sense.Too bad because it sure would be a beautiful object to see at night.
My answer doesn’t disagree with the Doctor’s. I hadn’t really thought of that point, and will proceed to think about it.
My explanation was gonna be: the center of our galaxy is actually too close to us to be seen distinctly. It’s pretty huge, and filled with empty space (notwithstanding being one of the denser parts of the universe!), so we just see it as a faintly luminous zone. So why isn’t the center of the galaxy a ton brighter than the rest of the Milky band? I don’t know.
What part of “I don’t know” don’t you understand?
From the Anglo-Australian Observatory:
There’s a nice wide angle picture at that site too.
TT
“It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers.”
–James Thurber
You can see the center of the galaxy in a way. The name Milky Way refers to the bright band of stars stretching across the sky, that is the center of our galaxy edge on. Unfortunately light pollution from cities obliterates one of the wonders of the night sky.
Icerigger
The Milky Way goes all the way around us. It’s like floating in a big bowl of milk, towards the edge. The center is in only one direction, though.
rocks
What is the density of this inter-galactic dust? Is it anything to worry about when we invent warp drive and travel to the stars? Would a future astronaut risk getting pierced by a piece of it?
egkelly:
We need the interstellar dust. For fuel.
That’s what the Bussard collectors are for, although you do need to reverse the modulation of the deflectors to use them.
By the way, if you want to look in the general direction of the center of the Milky Way (again, not that you’ll see anything in that direction much brighter than other parts of the Milky Way), you’d want to look towards the constellation of Sagitarius. That’s the location of the brightest radio source in the sky, called Sagittarius A*.
Mentok: that’s a great analogy, better than the one I usually use in my planetarium shows… can I use it? 
drewbert
Are you at Morehead? Wow, I was there in December in the middle of a hundred third-graders.
Of course! I’d be awed.
rocks
{{{That’s what the Bussard collectors are for, although you do need to reverse the modulation of the deflectors to use them.}}}—DrFidelius
Damn! I’ve only been doing phase shifts of ±90º. Now all the equations work perfectly!!
Thanks Doc.
:::Heading for the Patent Office:::
–Kalél
Common ¢ for all ages…
“Well, there was that thing with the Cheese-Wiz…but I’m feeling much better now!” – John Astin, Night Court
“If ignorance is bliss, you must be orgasmic.”
Yep, I’m at Morehead…I don’t get to do the star shows as often as I’d like (only one every 5 or 6 Fridays on average these days…) but they’re fun.
It’s also sooo much fun seating 300 preschoolers!
(My next show is May 5 - I plan an extravaganza of scepticism relating to the big planetary conjunction that day!)
Pray for no earthquakes that day, eh?
Of course, the May 5 conjunction isn’t a perfect one, and May 5 isn’t much different from May 4 or May 6. What was the line up for the so-called Jupiter Effect–wasn’t that 1982? I have a reference around here somewhere…
rocks