Why is the Milky Way a bared galaxy?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the classification of the Milky Way as a barred galaxy, exploring the reasons behind this classification, the implications of galactic mergers, and the evolution of galaxies over time. Participants reference various sources and engage in speculative reasoning about the formation and future of barred galaxies.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants reference Wikipedia articles as a source for understanding why the Milky Way is classified as a barred galaxy.
  • One participant suggests that the Milky Way may evolve into an elliptical galaxy after colliding with Andromeda, proposing that this transformation is common for spiral galaxies after multiple mergers.
  • Another participant speculates that most galaxies start off as spiral galaxies, with the Milky Way being relatively younger in this context.
  • There is a question raised about whether barred galaxies are the result of mergers between two galaxies, with some participants indicating that this is a topic of ongoing research.
  • Discussion includes the role of bars in galaxies, noting that they primarily consist of stars and are influenced by density waves that also sustain spiral arms.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the formation of barred galaxies and the implications of galactic mergers. There is no consensus on the exact reasons for the Milky Way's classification or the future evolution of barred galaxies.

Contextual Notes

Participants acknowledge uncertainty regarding the specifics of galaxy evolution and the conditions under which barred galaxies form. The discussion includes assumptions about the nature of galaxy mergers and the characteristics of different galaxy types.

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One thing I do know for sure is that it is expected that after colliding with Andromeda it will become an elliptical galaxy. I think the same is true, or at least believed to be true for most if not all spiral or spiral barred galaxies after enough collisions with similar sized/mass galaxies.

This leads me to believe that it has to do with the age of a galaxy, or more precisely how many merges it has had in it's life time. I am not certain of this part but it is my educated guess based upon this that most if not all galaxies start off as spiral galaxies and ours is just younger in that regard. I wouldn't post a response with a guess normally but I did give factual information as well, and am just giving my guess to continue the chain of logic. I'm going to research that now though. As for the barred aspect, I haven't a clue.
 
Barred galaxy = merger of 2 galaxies?
 
Last edited:
Imax said:
Barred galaxy = merger of 2 galaxies?

Excerpt:


The bars are mostly stars (usually), unlike spiral arms (which have lots of gas and dust besides stars). The formation and evolution of bars is an active area of research in astronomy today; they seem to form from close encounters of the galaxy kind (galaxy near-collisions), funnel gas into the central bulge (where the super-massive black holes there snack on it), and are sustained by the same density waves which keep the arms alive.
http://www.universetoday.com/40300/barred-spiral-galaxy/
 

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