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It is actually doubtful that the Magelanic Clouds orbit the Milky Way. "Astronomers have long assumed that the Magellanic Clouds have orbited the Milky Way at
by chasil 3y ago
It is actually doubtful that the Magelanic Clouds orbit the Milky Way.
"Astronomers have long assumed that the Magellanic Clouds have orbited the Milky Way at approximately their current distances, but evidence suggests that it is rare for them to come as close to the Milky Way as they are now. Observation and theoretical evidence suggest that the Magellanic Clouds have both been greatly distorted by tidal interaction with the Milky Way as they travel close to it."
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magellanic_Clouds https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magellanic_Clouds
"They are merely flying by at high speed and that this close encounter is a first time occurrence. The Magellanic Clouds have enough velocity to escape the Milky Way and fly about the local group. They will be changed by the effect of the close encounter and undergo a burst phase of star formation."
https://stargazehawaii.com/the-magellanic-clouds-are-not-in-orbit-about-the-milky-way/ https://stargazehawaii.com/the-magellanic-clouds-are-not-in-...
- throwawaymaths 3y agoShouldn't gravitational friction from dark matter slow the MCs down enough that they won't escape?
- ben_w 3y agoGiven dark matter isn't yet well characterised, there definitely isn't a "should" in what we know. But I'd be surprised, because if it was even a possibility that it might be able to apply a friction force large enough to be relevant to to the relative motion of the galaxies, I think a lot of people would be talking about this in the same breath as the bullet cluster.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]