JUN 18, 2007 - Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxy is an ongoing cosmic story that will likely grow in significance in months and years to come, so if you aren't already up to speed it's time to start synching up. It has been clear since 1994 that the Milky Way, which we have for generations been taught to regard as our galactic home, has a previously unknown companion which has been dubbed the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy (aka SagDEG, for Sagittarius Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy). Additional previously unknown companion galaxies have since been discovered. SagDEG is of special interest because it appears to be in the process of colliding with the Milky Way, because there's some evidence that it rather than the Milky Way may be our solar system's home galaxy, and because SagDEG seems to have an unusually high concentration of dark matter. Wouldn't you know it, our solar system deep in the heart of a dark matter neighborhood and caught up in a galactic collision to boot. Synchronicity, as always, has a wicked sense of humor. A good part of Western civilization is in an uproar over illegal immigration, and now it seems that our own solar system turns out to be crossing galactic borders. Already, speculation is building about what this may mean for the future of our planet.
