In two galaxies, each with, say, a star population of tens of billions, seeing something happen frequently in one and infrequently in the other implies there is a significantly higher statistical probability of it occurring in the one. The sample size (number of stars) is simply huge, making us fairly confident in that implication. Ergo something's different in M83.
Or am I remembering my college statistics incorrectly?
The discussion tidbit Harry may be looking for is to question the age of M83. Is it older than other spiral galaxies?
Perhaps it is just that statistically things happen in clumps and M83 just happens to have had a few more supernovae than others (e.g., as per the last several posts above).
Galaxies are not all of uniform size... Does M83 contain more stars than other galaxies?
Or is radiation from the increased count of supernovae helping spark others? Or maybe radiation from some past cataclysmic event? I wonder if anyone's mapped out the SN locations and whether they're happening at ever increasing distances from some point.
Could there be a space-time warp because of a particularly large black hole in M83, causing time to pass at a different rate there?
Perhaps more warp-drive ships are traversing M83, altering the laws of physics locally.
-Noel
In two galaxies, each with, say, a star population of tens of billions, seeing something happen frequently in one and infrequently in the other implies there is a significantly higher statistical probability of it occurring in the one. The sample size (number of stars) is simply huge, making us fairly confident in that implication. Ergo something's different in M83.
Or am I remembering my college statistics incorrectly?
The discussion tidbit Harry may be looking for is to question the age of M83. Is it older than other spiral galaxies?
Perhaps it is just that statistically things happen in clumps and M83 just happens to have had a few more supernovae than others (e.g., as per the last several posts above).
Galaxies are not all of uniform size... Does M83 contain more stars than other galaxies?
Or is radiation from the increased count of supernovae helping spark others? Or maybe radiation from some past cataclysmic event? I wonder if anyone's mapped out the SN locations and whether they're happening at ever increasing distances from some point.
Could there be a space-time warp because of a particularly large black hole in M83, causing time to pass at a different rate there?
Perhaps more warp-drive ships are traversing M83, altering the laws of physics locally. ;)
-Noel