Milky Way Transit Authority

Image: Samuel Arbesman

Sure, anyone could consult an atlas of the Milky Way Galaxy to see what’s all there, but if you think like Samuel Arbesman, that won’t do.  He has created a handy station and route map of spiral galaxy as a way of making the immense more accessible.  Introducing the Milky Way Transit Authority.

This map is an attempt to approach our galaxy with a bit more familiarity than usual and get people thinking about long-term possibilities in outer space. Hopefully it can provide as a useful shorthand for our place in the Milky Way, the ‘important’ sights, and make inconceivable distances a bit less daunting. And while convenient interstellar travel is nothing more than a murky dream, and might always be that way, there is power in creating tools for beginning to wrap our minds around the interconnections of our galactic neighborhood.

Let’s see, I need to get to The Hamptons… I’ll take the shuttle from Sol to Eagle Nebula station, then to Carina where I swap out on a express ride to Norma.  From there, the long ride past Crab Nebula & Pal2 to New Outer Junction, where I swap again and take the Omega Centauri suburban line into Canis Major.  Whew, it’s going to be a long ride!

Bigger image at Link.