The Milky Way: An Insider's Guide

by William H. Waller

A grand tour of our dynamic home galaxy

This book offers an intimate guide to the Milky Way, taking readers on a grand tour of our home Galaxy's structure, genesis, and evolution, based on the latest astronomical findings. In engaging language, it tells how the Milky Way congealed from blobs of gas and dark matter into a spinning starry abode brimming with diverse planetary systems―some of which may be hosting myriad life forms and perhaps even other technologically communicative species.

William Waller vividly describes the Milky Way as it appears in the night sky, acquainting readers with its key components and telling the history of our changing galactic perceptions. The ancients believed the Milky Way was a home for the gods. Today we know it is but one galaxy among billions of others in the observable universe. Within the Milky Way, ground-based and space-borne telescopes have revealed that our Solar System is not alone. Hundreds of other planetary systems share our tiny part of the vast Galaxy. We reside within a galactic ecosystem that is driven by the theatrics of the most massive stars as they blaze through their brilliant lives and dramatic deaths. Similarly effervescent ecosystems of hot young stars and fluorescing nebulae delineate the graceful spiral arms in our Galaxy's swirling disk. Beyond the disk, the spheroidal halo hosts the ponderous―and still mysterious―dark matter that outweighs everything else. Another dark mystery lurks deep in the heart of the Milky Way, where a supermassive black hole has produced bizarre phenomena seen at multiple wavelengths.

Waller makes the case that our very existence is inextricably linked to the Galaxy that spawned us. Through this book, readers can become well-informed galactic "insiders"―ready to imagine humanity's next steps as fully engaged citizens of the Milky Way.

Genres: Science, Astronomy

336 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Andrew Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good introduction to Milky Way. It describes features of our galaxy like the Local Interstellar Cloud, Gould's Belt and G-Cloud.

The Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy some 100,000–120,000 light-years in diameter which contains approximately 100–400 billion stars. It may contain at least as many planets as well. The Solar System is located within the disk, about 27,700 light-years away from the Galactic Center, on the inner edge of a spiral-shaped concentration of gas and dust called the Orion–Cygnus Arm. The very center is marked by an intense radio source named Sagittarius A* which is likely to be a supermassive black hole.
The vertical distribution of of old stars in the thin disk extends only 2,000 light-years from the midplane., while the thickness of young stars and molecular gas clouds is 300 light years thin. Most of the ordinary matter in the Milky Way resides within this disk.
The rotational period is about 240 million years at the position of the Sun.

The Local Interstellar Cloud (or Local Fluff or LIC) is the interstellar cloud roughly 30 light years through which the Earth's Solar System is currently moving. The Solar System is thought to have entered the Local Interstellar Cloud at some time between 44,000 and 150,000 years ago and is expected to remain within it for another 10,000 to 20,000 years.
The Local Interstellar Cloud's potential effects on Earth are prevented by the solar wind and the Sun's magnetic field.

Gould's Belt is a loose ring of big bright blue young stars and star-forming regions. It's centered near the Sun and tilted relative to the plane of the Galaxy. Gould's Belt is quite vast and is estimated to have a diameter of 3000 light years.

The G-Cloud is an interstellar cloud located next to the Local Interstellar Cloud. The Sun is currently moving towards it. The G-Cloud contains the stars Alpha Centauri, Proxima Centauri and Altair (and possibly others)

[John Selmes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will review 4 books here as they comment on each other; oldest first:

1. The Authentic Book of Space ed. HJ Campbell 1954, 102pp

Authentic Science Fiction was a 1950s British SF magazine of which ex-research biochemist HJ Campbell was an editor and also wrote some of the stories. He went on to write novels for Panther SF before giving up fiction for chemistry. This large format hardback was published by the magazine, and seems aimed at British youth of the day. The cover illustration is of construction of a moonbase; interior illustrations are b&w with 4 colour plates. Biographies are given at the end.

The factual articles about space and spaceflight are spiced with short fiction; Explorers of Mars by William F Temple (about finding the secrets of a long-dead Martian civilization), The Blue Cloud by Mary Dogge (what happens when a rain generating machine goes wrong), Old Growler: Space Ship No 2213 by Jon J Deegan (aka Robert G Sharp; cartoon strip using characters from the magazine novellas; interstellar explorers contact a lost Earth colony), Playmate by Leslie A Crouch (aliens successfully substitute a robot double with the ability to grow for a human child). There is a crossword, Tour of the Solar System race game, and “make your own spaceship” with balsa and a Jetex motor. The bulk is taken up by factual articles, broken up by sidebars and small pieces:

Science Fiction and Space Flight by Arthur C Clarke: He wonders if SF has over-sold space, worrying that progress on spaceflight may be slower than the public expect, and pointing out that the planets of the solar system are uninhabitable; colonizing Mars and Venus would require “changing atmospheres and climates on a planetary scale”.

Death Rides the Spaceways by Forrest J Ackerman (top SF fan working in film); about difficulties making SF films, and making the film Riders to the Stars, based on a Curt Siodmak novel.

From Earth to the Stars: The illustrations relate to this, outlining the journeys to orbit, to Mars and the rest of the solar system, and finally to the stars. It suggests the starship will require a huge outlay of resources, a joint enterprize of all nations, so much that it may only happen if humanity is faced with extinction or overpopulation at home; and it would need to contain a colony for a voyage lasting hundreds of years, probably to several stars to find anything habitable or inhabited; “the passage of humanity from the Earth to the stars will be long, tedious and expensive”. An ion drive is proposed as propulsion, and the colour plate of the ship is from the magazine. There are related sidebars about stars: Colours of the Stars relates temperature, magnitude, size and composition, Double Stars on calculating stellar masses, Magnitude of Stars describing the scheme and ratios, and actual versus apparent brightness, and Variable Stars including Cepheid variables and measuring stellar distances, and “flare stars” (novae).

Man’s Slow Ascent: Altitude records, up to the 1949 WAC Corporal rocket at 250 miles.
Things in the Sky: Illustrates the kinds of objects observed by Mt Palomar observatory (then the world’s largest); planets, star clusters, galaxies, comets.

Hardships in Starships: by Alan U Hershey: points out that faster-than-light travel, suspended animation and immortality are all fantasy, and the only possible starship based on actual science would be the colony (generation) ship described previously. It talks about how to select crew for a thousand year voyage, how to get a society to survive in those conditions, and the environment needed – which, if it were good enough, and sustainable enough, would be a home itself, so would anyone want to leave? The best spaceship, he says, is Earth.

A Suit for Space… and what it’s like up there: illustrates a proposed spacesuit and describes conditions in space astronauts may experience.

How Big is Space? By Frank Wilson (science journalist; ex-chemist and logician): This gives an idea of relative distances; Mt Palomar could only see 400 million light-years.

Radio in Space by David McIlwaine (editor of British Radio and Television): Discusses interplanetary communication, need for microwave frequencies, sidebands (bandwidth) for TV transmission, orbital radio stations, radar, time lags, and use of valves rather than transistors for high power applications. Points out interstellar radio will work, but worries about interference from radio stars. And dismisses the idea of teleportation technology.

Our Friends the Aliens by H Ken Bulmer (SF author): He notes there are probably many planets in the galaxy, a proportion of which have life, some intelligent, and a fraction if which will have developed spaceflight; and we may be visited. The speed of light seems an absolute limit, so any travel is likely to be slow, perhaps by huge ark.

How do you say “Hello” to a Martian? By William F Temple (author, was editor of JBIS): Aliens may not have the speech or sensory apparatus that humans have. Some scientists believe telepathy is a fact, but even if so and it could be controlled, alien minds will be very different. Professor Hogden proposes sending radio messages, using a number-based system, but it needs replies - and so centuries - to maybe build understanding. It would be much easier in person.

British Astronautical Pioneers by Harry Harper (first aviation journalist): Talks of UK legislation making rocketry difficult, unlike the USA. Relates prominent BIS members.

Do you want to emigrate to Mars? By EC Tubb (SF author of Alien Dust): Mars is uninhabitable, and colonists must live in domes and use pressure suits. Water in short supply, oxygen extracted from rocks. Psychologically, conditions will be difficult too, and the main qualification for colonists may be a sense of humour. A sidebar elsewhere gives the basics of what was known about Mars, with references for further reading.

Possible Life-Forms on Other Planets by HJ Campbell (from a lecture given at Cambridge University): Discusses the requirements for life on other planets; temperature, pressure, oxygen; odd organisms may exist outside only one of the normal parameters for these. Suggests chemical abundancies and reactions mean life is most likely to be carbon-based and require oxygen. Notes panspermia is possible, but experimental results mean life could arise on a planet under the right conditions.

Background to the Rocket by Frank Wilson: A potted history of the rocket.

The Artificial Satellite by HE Ross and RA Smith (condensed from a paper in JBIS): A serious space station design, with a 200ft solar energy collecting bowl, strobotelescope which can point without moving the whole scope, and crew of 24, including 8 scientists.

Useful Information: Gives statistics of the planets, lists nearby stars, changes of weight with altitude, and the cosmic ray particles together with their life and decay particles.

The Difficult Science of Astronautics: You’ll need to work hard and achieve a high standard to work on space travel, and understand complex maths and physics. A sidebar tells you how to calculate escape velocities, orbital velocities, orbital periods, and imperial to metric conversions.

Sighs from Space: Jodrell Bank, with an artist’s impression of how the new 250ft radio telescope will look. Emissions are received from radio stars that are not visible, but may be supernova remnants, as the sighs are from the Crab Nebula. The main job of the telescope will be to measure the expansion of the universe.

Newspapers of the Future: There will be more as more of the solar system is colonized. Earth will have world-wide newspapers (“Earth Gazette”). A front page from 2155 is provided for “Solar” (“We print anything! We print everything!”), priced in credits; disasters, trade disputes, and advertising still provide copy.

How to Steer a Spaceship by Frank Wilson: Astrogation can use an almanac and sextant, but will mainly be by radio beacons; course correction will use gyroscopes for attitude control and small rockets for thrust; vectors are illustrated. At high speeds, relativity would come into effect.

The Laws of Robotics: References Isaac Asimov’s robot stories and gives his laws.

2. Life in the Universe by Francis Jackson & Patrick Moore (140pp, 1962)

Begins by surveying the basics of stars, the galaxy and universe, concluding there must be life somewhere given the numbers; then atoms, the abundance of elements and spectroscopy.

It goes on to lay out the basics of organic chemistry; carbon bonds, proteins, fats, nucleic acids, enzymes, ATP, porphyrins, the role of water, photosynthesis, definitions of life, and how life may have arisen (including work of Miller-Urey, Haldane, Oparin and others, discussion of biopoesis, amino acids, protein formation, peptide bonds etc.)

Next a look at the solar system, with special attention to the Moon, Mars, and Venus, habitability of the planets and past speculations about life.

Then planets of other stars, their likelihood, noting the first claimed exoplanet detection by Strand in 1944 around 61 Cyngi B, and others since, notably around 70 Ophiuchi. Discusses nearby stars, concluding Tau Ceti and Epsilon Eridani are the most suitable for life, with reference to Drake’s communication attempts.

Considers alien life, fiction and dismisses flying saucers, looks at the alternatives to carbon-based life, with a good description of why silicon-based life wouldn’t work.

Concludes carbon-based life with water is most likely, but notes extremophiles on Earth indicate it may occur in quite different circumstances, notes the chance of panspermia and contamination, and discusses how long life and civilization may exist on Earth and other worlds.
Generally in this volume, Moore provides the popular astronomical data and anecdotes about discredited speculations such as Martian canals, whilst Jackson does most of the heavy lifting describing organic chemistry and possible origins of life.

3. Beyond the Solar System by Willy Ley – 108pp 1965<\b>
Foreward by Wernher von Braun and paintings by Chesley Bonestell

Suggests a manned expedition to Alpha Centauri (the closest thus most likely destination) will be possible in about fifty years. Illustrations suggest ion rocket propulsion, launch from Canaveral, and, given the size, not a generation ship. After brief facts about the solar system (including Kepler’s Laws), it looks at parallax and interstellar distances, before describing the Centauri system, and considers the possible length of the voyage. Ships would be ocean-liner sized to accommodate the crew for many years or generations, or possibly larger habitats in their own right, cruising between stars. He speculates on the possibility of hibernation or similar hoped-for alternatives.

The bulk of the text is layman’s astrophysics: a brief overview of the methods used in astronomy, before talking about stars, including the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram and stars’ life cycle, the carbon cycle and H-H process within stars, binaries, and stellar populations. From then he looks at the structure of the Milky Way (referencing Cepheid variables), types of galaxies, and the local group of galaxies. Illustrations are b&w photos, and renowned space artist Chesley Bonestell’s impressions of interesting stars from hypothetical planets, one shown as inhabited.

The book’s organization follows the author’s 1949 The Conquest of Space, which posited the use of rockets to get to the moon and nearby planets, however, here there is little detail of the starship, or possible extrasolar planets, as knowledge was largely absent on these matters; however, the rate of projected technology was reckoned to make the starship project possible by the 2020s.

4. The Milky Way: An Insider’s Guide by William H Waller, 316pp 2013

The bulk of the text concerns astronomy relating to our galaxy; starting by delineating the galaxy, then the history of observations, the sky at different wavelengths, nearby stars (including exoplanets, the local bubble and Gould’s Belt), distance measurement (parallax, Cepheids etc), the H-R diagram, Kepler’s laws and the galactosphere, stellar births, lives, and afterlives, mapping the galaxy (gas clouds, disc dynamics), the galactic core, and the origin of the galaxy. There are some formulae, not too complex, and often practical. Also many maps and diagrams, plus 16 colour plates in the centre.

He then discusses the possibility of life; a brief look at necessary conditions, the Drake equation, and the chance of intelligent communicative life, and his Galactic Manifesto. This assumes there is civilization in the galaxy, given the conditions and probabilities, likely carbon-based using oxygen given the chemistry, and assumes this will have spread in sub-light speed starships over much of the galaxy by now. His manifesto is to the effect that we should be trying to both listen in and contact them, and be good neighbours.

There is a decent glossary, notes and further reading.

5. Comments

The 1954 text comes from British SF and is aimed at teenage boys; given which, it is unforgivingly realistic. It suggests planets in our solar system are uninhabitable, and the huge effort of terraforming needed to colonize them would means this would only happen given a resource or population crisis on Earth. Interstellar travel would need huge space arks, Earth-like space habitats cruising for maybe thousands of years before finding a destination or breaking down. They would fired into space never to return, a purely speculative punt on finding planets which may not be there, or habitable, or inhabited. Anything they find would be less habitable than their ark, so they may only leave if it breaks down. The massive expense would consume huge amounts of Earth’s resources, and would only be undertaken in extreme circumstances, such as the imminent end of life on Earth. Space travel, we are told, is slow and difficult, requiring many generations of study and dull, tedious technical work, and given the Earth is the best habitat, probably not worth it. Interstellar radio is likewise too slow for practical communication; any transmission is purely speculative, and by the time you have a reply, you will be long dead, along with your receiver and your civilization. And the reply will be alien gibberish anyway. Like interstellar travel, anyone intelligent enough to try this is intelligent enough not to. The knowledgeable contributors build a bleak picture; yes, the science says there are many planets and much life out there, but interstellar travel? Communication? Bah humbug.

By the time of the 1962 text, more is known about life, and reaffirms the previous work in saying planets and life should abundant, using carbon, water and oxygen. It shows just how little was known about our solar system before the space age got underway. Interstellar radio transmission had already been tried; Tau Ceti and Epsilon Eridani are noted as possible places to find life relatively nearby.

The 1965 text is highly optimistic about interstellar travel. A starship will no longer need to take the world’s resources, and the rapid advance of technology means a project should be underway in the 2020s. However, a starship is still a space ark with an ion drive, cruising between the stars in the hope of finding a worthwhile destination; or may be just a cruising habitat, looking for trade and resources (“macrolife” is referenced). It is noted that the technology still doesn’t exist and destinations speculative, but assumes it will happen, nearby Alpha Centauri first.

The 2013 book is really a popular astronomy text, but the author likewise says that carbon-based life should be abundant. Exoplanets are now known to be abundant. The authors assume that given numerous aliens, there ought to be civilizations, some of which will engage in interstellar travel, and thus, over millions of years, will have spread throughout the galaxy. His manifesto says that we should be communicating with these neighbours. But I note no-one knows how to build a starship, and we are not receiving any neighbourly communications. The picture transmitted from 1954, of occasional ageing space arks desperately going from star to star until they end as drifting derelicts or land as refugees, rather than establishing interstellar civilizations, comes through loud and clear.

[Auhtumn Archibald · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Milky Way is a great book about the Galaxy's change over time and what the Milky Way is. Waller utilizes different points of view to elaborate on the Milky and how it looks in the sky. Explaining the history of it helps interest the reader about the special aspects of the Milky Way and why it is well known or mentioned today.

[David Dube]

Understanding the subject that the author is writing about is very important; otherwise I'd be watching Spongebob or American Dad.

[Cathy Hartel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written, making for a good read.