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Cannibal Galaxy the Biggest In the Near Universe
The Bad Astronomer writes "Astronomers have found the most massive galaxy in the near universe: an obese, bloated monster that may tip the cosmic scales at 13 trillion times the mass of the Sun, 20 times the mass of the entire Milky Way. The galaxy, called ESO 146-IG 005, sits at the center of a dense cluster of other (but much more lightweight) galaxies, and grew to its present size by eating the galaxies around it. In fact, the so-far undigested cores of at least five other galaxies are still easily seen in the cannibal's nucleus. Astronomers are having difficulty pinning down the galaxy's exact mass, but it's clearly the biggest bruiser within 1.5 billion light years of home."
MMmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Gaaaaalaaaaaxyyyyyyy
om nom nom nom
You can't handle the truth.
("worse"/"better" - is an act of eating galaxies ammoral? ;) )
Our galaxy is a cannibal, too...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgo_Stellar_Stream
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monoceros_Ring
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_nearest_galaxies
(and those links are just a starting point; BTW, BOINC project Milkyway@home models this)
One that hath name thou can not otter
First global warming, now solar system-eating far galaxy monsters. What could possibly be worse?
I'll take a shot at that: How about The Big Rip? Cosmic expansion increasing exponentially quickly so that every atom, no, every point of space time retreats from every other point faster than the speed of light. Everything in the universe ripping apart in an instant. OOoooohhhh! Scary!
- None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
you actually mean 'merging' with them. galaxies do not consume stellar material to burn. stellar material just merges.
I don't consume Cheetos and Mountain Dew, I merge with them. I don't burn most of them, they simply merge into a nearly circular ring around my midsection.
- None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
In approximately 10^40 years, every galaxy will be nothing but black holes. By then, all stars will either have become white dwarfs or black holes, and the white dwarfs will have even cooled off to become black dwarfs.
So what the hell is the point of even getting up in the morning?
If libertarians are so opposed to effective government, why don't they all move to Somalia?
First global warming, now solar system-eating far galaxy monsters. What could possibly be worse?
Total protonic reversal. Try to imagine all life as you know it stopping instantaneously and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light. That would be bad. [/ghostbusters]
This happened, like what, a billion and a half years ago?
Bacon.
You do realize that there is no actual food in Cheetos nor Mountain Dew, so your only option is to merge with them. If you actually tried to consume them, your small intestine would leap out and throttle your brain in an desperate attempt to save humanity.
"Be grateful for what you have. You may never know when you may lose it."