would it ever be possible to see a galaxy like that? Or would the light from the stars be too dim to see.
I'm not an astronomer, but don't they use long exposure photographic plates to gather enough light to form a picture of a galaxy?
From our own vantage point within the Milky Way, admittedly surrounded by dust, we can barely discern the faint ribbon that marks our home galaxy. Would it really be that much clearer from so much further away?
2007-01-12 03:54:34 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Right on! Photographs of deep sky objects can be very misleading, and many amateurs are very disappointed when they view deep sky objects in a large telescope. You are right to note that the milky way is nothing like as bright as many galaxy arms are in photos. Another famous example is Andromeda. It is much larger in the sky than the moon is, but very few people notice it (you'll find it near the great square of Pegasus) because it is so diffuse, hence, dim. The site below will show you how to find it.
HTH
Charles
2007-01-12 06:33:29 · answer #1 · answered by Charles 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, you would never see a galaxy looking like that. You are correct in considering the example of our own Milky Way Galaxy. Here we are on the edge of a big spiral galaxy, and you can only see it if there are no lights on nearby. Obscuration by dust and atmosphere doesn't make that much of a difference; even from space you'd need to be in the dark to see it. Same thing for the Andromeda Galaxy.
Even though they can have hundreds of billions of stars, galaxies are really pretty dim, because there's so much empty space between those stars.
2007-01-12 05:35:59 · answer #2 · answered by injanier 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You're out in space looking at a galaxy... Once again you're out in space, there's nothing surrounding you no other stars, no planets nothing for millions of light-years except for a nearby galaxy full of Solar Systems each with 3 or 4 brightly burning giant stars and between solar systems more stars with a mist of crushed rock and ice caught in the elliptical orbit of the galaxy reflecting the light given out by each glowing ball of fire. Perhaps our own galaxy doesn't glow in that way but I'm certain that it is possible to see that under the right conditions.
2007-01-12 04:15:48 · answer #3 · answered by Leohades 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Stars, some of which are galaxies, are visible by the naked eye at night. Since we can see the shapes of galaxies from earth using telescopes, it would stand to reason that if we were as close as the focal length of the telescope, then we would see the galaxy the same way with the naked eye. As we got closer it would get bigger and brighter until it was fairly large as the view in the film. They would have to have been at a very far distance from it to see it that way.
2007-01-12 04:10:18 · answer #4 · answered by vmmhg 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
End Of Empire Strikes Back
2016-10-19 05:30:15 · answer #5 · answered by kanosh 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If they had that view of a galaxy they would be thousands of light years from it. As for the brightness. We can see 2 galaxies from earth with the naked eye (they appear as fuzzy stars). So I think it would be possible to see at least some galaxies of the billions out there in that way.
2007-01-12 04:01:16 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Astronomers, even in the Hubble telescope, cant enhance images with exposures because earth rotates so the image might look moved. Most of the light is in the non-visible spectrum so astronomers make infrared radiation visible with some filters, that means that the real image is not as strong, or colorful like the one enhanced. If you were looking at the Galaxy, if would look not so great.
2007-01-12 04:22:31 · answer #7 · answered by Sebastian 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think you are right about how they photograph things.
They take some awesome looking pictures and then I usually come to find out that they have focused in on one particular wave length so we can actually see the object. But I think if we were that close to a galaxy...I don't think the stars would be too dim for us not to see them. And we would prolly see the galaxy in a black and white picture.
2007-01-12 03:59:21 · answer #8 · answered by Kelly B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If they turned off all the lights inside and outside their spacecraft, they would have a pretty good view. Probably not as spectacular as in the movie, but still better than any view you would have from inside an atmosphere, because there would be no scattered light to obstruct it in the depths of space.
2007-01-12 06:05:46 · answer #9 · answered by That Guy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We actually see galaxies all the time on telescopes such as the hubble. Realistically, yes, you would probably be able to see a galaxy like that, but you would have to be so far away that it would not be as dramatic as that scene.
btw, I always saw it as a nebula, which is one of the most beautiful things in the universe
2007-01-12 04:27:39 · answer #10 · answered by rawson_wayne 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋