this post was submitted on 06 Dec 2025
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Science Memes

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[–] BeigeAgenda@lemmy.ca 24 points 16 hours ago (4 children)

Interesting, I just finished reading Rendezvous With Rama.

If a massive object like that was to pass through our neighbourhood I think it could fling planets out of the solar system.

[–] Clent@lemmy.dbzer0.com 22 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

Even with this mass this planet would have to pass one of the outer planets extremely close and quite slowly to have a chance of dragging a planet out of the solar system.

This is the same sort of idea as when galaxies merge. There is little chance of our solar system being effected in that scenario. There is just too much space to space.

[–] MohamedMoney@feddit.org 3 points 13 hours ago (4 children)

Aren’t we currently galaxy merging?

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 11 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

2-5bn years with andromeda, not even close.

[–] MohamedMoney@feddit.org 5 points 11 hours ago (2 children)

Thank you but I didn’t mean andromeda. I think heard something about merging with a dwarf galaxy or something

[–] SpacetimeMachine@lemmy.world 3 points 6 hours ago

https://youtu.be/xZUYtRF_pw0

You are correct! Here's a really good video on the topic.

[–] victorz@lemmy.world 2 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

You'd think we would be able to see a dwarf galaxy approaching close to our galaxy at night? Or how dwarfey are we talking?

[–] MohamedMoney@feddit.org 3 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

I don’t know why you bring up being able to see the dwarf galaxy at night as a qualifier. The dwarf galaxy I’m talking about seems to be Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy

[–] victorz@lemmy.world 4 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

I don’t know why you bring up being able to see the dwarf galaxy at night as a qualifier.

Because a whole ass galaxy should be visible, I would think, but I also asked how small we're talking — maybe it wouldn't be visible. You know?

Anyway,

The Sagittarius dwarf galaxy, a small satellite of the Milky Way that is leaving a stream of stars behind as an effect of our Galaxy’s gravitational tug, is visible as an elongated feature below the Galactic centre and pointing in the downwards direction in the all-sky map of the density of stars observed by ESA’s Gaia mission between July 2014 to May 2016.

Scientists analysing data from Gaia’s second release have shown our Milky Way galaxy is still enduring the effects of a near collision that set millions of stars moving like ripples on a pond. The close encounter likely took place sometime in the past 300–900 million years, and the culprit could be the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy.

Seems like it was only a near collision eons ago, but maybe it's still on a an absorption path to be consumed by The Milky Way in the future. Cool, didn't know about that.

[–] SpacetimeMachine@lemmy.world 2 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

https://youtu.be/xZUYtRF_pw0

Here is a great video talking about the dwarf galaxies around the milky way and how they have shaped and affected our galaxy.

[–] victorz@lemmy.world 1 points 3 hours ago

Cool, thanks, I'll have a look 🙂

[–] Clent@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 5 hours ago

Our galaxy is capturing smaller galaxies but there won't be a merge of equal sizes for a couple billion years with andromeda.

[–] Nythos@sh.itjust.works 2 points 13 hours ago (1 children)
[–] victorz@lemmy.world 2 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Haven't even begun colliding though. We can still see it way in the distance. It's millions/billions of years away until colliding.

Imagine the night sky far in galactic future when Andromeda is like directly overhead at night. What an amazing view. Shame earth wouldn't be around to see it.

[–] MintyFresh@lemmy.world 3 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Only a few short galactic years off!

[–] victorz@lemmy.world 2 points 7 hours ago

Oh god. Thanks for that midlife crisis!

[–] reddit_sux@lemmy.world 2 points 13 hours ago

Yes we are in middle of a multi million year process of merging of the bigger Andromeda galaxy and our Milky Way galaxy.

[–] clay_pidgin@sh.itjust.works 9 points 16 hours ago (2 children)

That's one of my very favorite books. It's fantastic at setting the mood. The further books are ok but not as much to my taste.

[–] MonkeMischief@lemmy.today 6 points 13 hours ago (2 children)

I still need to read the book! My main familiarity with RAMA is the 199(5?) PC game that was mind bogglingly obtuse with math puzzles but the world was SO fascinating! I need to figure out how to play it again with my grown up brain...

The soundtrack was INCREDIBLE...

[–] SlurpingPus@lemmy.world 5 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

Apparently ScummVM supports the game, though idk what's with the size of this particular upload.

[–] clay_pidgin@sh.itjust.works 2 points 6 hours ago

There's also an audio play which was neat.

[–] Evil_Shrubbery@lemmy.zip 3 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago)

Oh, I absolutely loved all of them, but it's def a different kind of sci-fi (less human-techy) compared to the first book.

[–] Evil_Shrubbery@lemmy.zip 4 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago)

I love that whole series, amazing books!!

But yes, this simp is basically a failed star that was prob flung out of some nursery.

[–] charonn0@startrek.website 1 points 1 hour ago

You may enjoy Fritz Leiber's short story, "A Pail of Air", which involves the Earth being ejected.

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/51461