Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!ucbvax!su-ai.arpa!REM%IMSSS
From: REM%IMSSS@SU-AI.ARPA (Robert Elton Maas)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: sizes of galaxies
Message-ID: <8603101133.AA02055@s1-b.arpa>
Date: Mon, 10-Mar-86 06:33:14 EST
Article-I.D.: s1-b.8603101133.AA02055
Posted: Mon Mar 10 06:33:14 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 12-Mar-86 05:27:14 EST
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The ARPA Internet
Lines: 18

CW> Date: 8 Mar 86 03:52:35 GMT
CW> From: hplabs!hao!seismo!umcp-cs!mangoe@ucbvax.berkeley.edu
CW> Subject: Re: Size of the Galaxy
CW> If memory serves me, current numbers list Milky Way as one of the biggest
CW> single galaxies we know of.  Is there an astronomer in the house?

I have a completely different impression, after reading Sky&Telescope
and other journals for many years. The giant elliptical galaxies such
as the one in the center of the Virgo cluster (is that M85?) are much
larger than the Milky Way. Even our twin the Andromeda galaxy (M31) is
believed to be slightly larger than ours, although scales of distance
aren't accurate enough to be sure. But considering spiral galaxies
only, excluding elliptical galaxies, ours and M31 are typical of
full-sized galaxies, not exceeded greatly by others. (But I'm not sure
of that part; perhaps Diana Hadley or Lynn.es@Xerox will help me out?)
(-: perhaps you were confusing apparent and actual diameter? Milky Way
is viewed from very near, thus appears larger than any others viewed
from afar :-)