Core Explosion

[Squink]

Proof the core of the Milky way has exploded, and without resorting to a Quantum II hyperdrive expedition.
More:

What we see are two gamma-ray-emitting bubbles that extend 25,000 light-years north and south of the galactic center," said Doug Finkbeiner, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Mass., who first recognized the feature. "We don’t fully understand their nature or origin.
…
The structure’s shape and emissions suggest it was formed as a result of a large and relatively rapid energy release - the source of which remains a mystery.

We appear to have survived the event, so far.

[dzero]

There was an Arthur C. Clarke story from the 60’s I think where there was a group of monks who believed that the only purpose of humanity was to write down all of the names of god. The names followed a particular formula that could be coded as an algorithm, so the monks bought one of the first IBM mainframes and set it loose on the problem. It was evening when it finally finished and the engineers who had built the machine looked into the sky and saw the stars going out one by one.

So . . . exactly how many light years are we from the galactic center?

[EvilTOJ]

That was the The Nine Billion Names of God by Arthur C Clarke. Looks like we won’t be meeting the Puppeteers at all.

[Mangetout]

@dzero

So . . . exactly how many light years are we from the galactic center?

Something like 30 or 40 thousand. Trouble is, if we can see this, that means it happened at least 30 or 40 thousand years ago.

[Sunspace]

And if the explosion wave approached us, there would be absolutely nothing we could do about it except watch it approach:

July 15, 20X6 - Hawai’i Observatory

Astronomers today announced that they may have an explanation for the sudden brightening in the sky in the direction of the galactic centre…

[Count_Blucher]

Yes, but aren’t we at the outter most tip of our galaxy? I realize my thinking is hopelessly 2D, but if the galaxy were flat map of the US, wouldn’t we be a tiny island way off the tip of Maine?

[RadicalPi]

If this image is at all accurate, we seem to be roughly halfway between the center and the edge. (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/236084main_MilkyWay-full-annotated.jpg)

A related question, why do galactic coordinates seem to go backward, that is, with 30 degrees being counterclockwise from 0 instead of the other way around?

[user_hostile]

Looks like the radiation pattern of a 1/4 wave dipole. The frequency is in the Milky Way band.

[dzero]

@RadicalPi

If this image is at all accurate, we seem to be roughly halfway between the center and the edge. (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/236084main_MilkyWay-full-annotated.jpg)

A related question, why do galactic coordinates seem to go backward, that is, with 30 degrees being counterclockwise from 0 instead of the other way around?

Interesting. According to that graphic, we’re well inside the 15k light year mark. I’d estimate 8-9k max from the center.

On a positive note though, if there is a discharge of energy that is uniform in all directions, then the power drops off with the cube of the distance. The real threat I would imagine is something like a gamma ray burst that just happens to be in our direction. That would redefine “crispy.”