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thegagis t1_j1mhaub wrote

We have more or less accurate measurements for directions and distances of many of the stars and nabulae that make up the milky way.

The rest is just drawing a map, just like islands and continents in ye olden days before satellites.

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MaintenanceInternal t1_j1mixc4 wrote

Also we see how other galaxies look which is the equivalent to the image in the jigsaw box.

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Zippy771 t1_j1n4dvi wrote

If this is the case, in the same way old maps were somewhat incorrect, could that be the same for ours now?

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thegagis t1_j1n9vh1 wrote

To some extent, yes. Unless I'm totally mistalen the distances of some stellar objects are very accurately known but some are fairly rough estimates. So the overall shape is probably very well fixed by the most accurate bits but the details are a bit fuzzy.

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FowlOnTheHill t1_j1pwcw8 wrote

I wonder about the delay in time from some of those stars which are hundreds of light years apart. I suppose that’s taken into consideration as well, but it seems like a Herculean task to me without computers.

Imagine if we are just radial spokes and it looks like a spiral because of the time it takes the light to reach us from further away 😄

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imtougherthanyou t1_j1qjrlv wrote

I think because it's slower the further out from center you go that spokes are not going to be more than occasional & brief occurrences.

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