Starship Asterisk*

Chris Peterson wrote:

macsinus wrote:
Off-topic question: is it just by chance that the ecliptic appears to be pretty much at a right-angle to the plane of our galaxy, or are there gravitational/rotational reasons? Are other discovered planetary systems similarly aligned?

The ecliptic and the galactic plane are oriented at 63° to one another, and there's no reason other than chance.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salakapurusa wrote:
<<According to the Jain cosmology, the Salakapurusa "illustrious or worthy persons" are 63 illustrious beings who appear during each half-time cycle. They are also known as the triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣa (63 illustrious persons). The Salakapurusa comprise 24 Tirthankaras (Teaching Gods), twelve Chakravartin (universal monarchs, emperors of six continents), nine Balabhadras (gentle heroes), nine Narayanas (warrior heroes) and nine Prati-narayanas (anti-heroes). According to Jain cosmology, time is without beginning and eternal. The Kālacakra, the cosmic wheel of time, rotates ceaselessly. The wheel of time is divided into two half-rotations, Utsarpiṇī or ascending time cycle and Avasarpiṇī, the descending time cycle, occurring continuously after each other. Utsarpiṇī is a period of progressive prosperity and happiness where the time spans and ages are at an increasing scale while the Avasarpiṇī is a period of increasing sorrow and immorality with decline in time spans of the epochs. During each such time cycle, these 63 illustrious persons appear and establish the religion and order in society. According to Jain cosmology, since time is eternal, infinite kalacakras have elapsed and will occur in future and hence infinite sets of these 63 illustrious persons have appeared, and will appear, to establish order and religion in their respective eras.>>

macsinus wrote:Off-topic question: is it just by chance that the ecliptic appears to be pretty much at a right-angle to the plane of our galaxy, or are there gravitational/rotational reasons?
Are other discovered planetary systems similarly aligned?

macsinus wrote:... Off-topic question: is it just by chance that the ecliptic appears to be pretty much at a right-angle to the plane of our galaxy, or are there gravitational/rotational reasons? ...

... The galactic plane is tilted at an angle of 63 degrees to the celestial equator and at an angle of 60 degrees to the ecliptic (the path of the Sun on the sky). All three coordinate systems have poles which point in different directions on the sky.

Joe Stieber wrote:

Ann wrote:... Blue-looking Capella shines brilliantly at far right, with the Large Magellanic Cloud to its left ...

I suspect Capella is a typo -- I'm sure you meant Canopus.

Ann wrote:... Blue-looking Capella shines brilliantly at far right, with the Large Magellanic Cloud to its left ...