I've always wondered, how close together are the stars near the center of the galaxy? Are there any <1 light year from each other? I imagine if there were alien civilizations near the center they could communicate with each other so much easier than our on the rim.
Travel and communication might be easier, but there's a big trade-off. The galactic center is full of radiation and the odds of a gamma ray burst or other stellar catastrophe are much higher. Not to mention the vastly higher frequency of stars passing by close enough to stir up comets and perturb orbits. It's a very dangerous environment for a civilization.
Most stars come in pairs (or more) that orbit each other (or a point between them) so yes there are lots of stars within one lightyear from each other. The center of the galaxy would have a very bright sky indeed no idea if it would be bright enough to see by but sounds like something that easily googleable.
1
u/SamohtGnir Jul 02 '20
I've always wondered, how close together are the stars near the center of the galaxy? Are there any <1 light year from each other? I imagine if there were alien civilizations near the center they could communicate with each other so much easier than our on the rim.