Peeking out from under the galactic shield

Every 60 million years or so, two things happen, roughly in synch: The solar system peeks its head to the north of the average plane of our galaxy's disk, and the richness of life on Earth dips noticeably.

Researchers had hypothesized that the former process drives the latter, via an increased exposure to high-energy subatomic particles called cosmic rays coming from intergalactic space. That radiation might be helping to kill off large swaths of the creatures on Earth, scientists say.

On the Milky Way's "northern" side, about 60 million light-years away, lies the huge Virgo Cluster of galaxies. The Virgo Cluster's powerful gravity tugs the Milky Way toward it at about 450,000 mph. This mad rush creates a shock wave, which generates lots of high-energy cosmic rays on the north side of the galactic disk, researchers said.

Usually, the Milky Way's magnetic field shields the solar system from most of these potentially dangerous particles. But every 64 million years or so, our solar system pops up above the northern edge of our galaxy's disk, exposing Earth to more cosmic rays, researchers said.

This periodicity matches up well with a biodiversity pattern detected by other researchers in 2005: Over the last 542 million years, the diversity of life on Earth has fluctuated regularly, with the total number of species on the planet rising and falling every 62 million years.

In 2007, researchers Mikhail Medvedev and Adrian Melott, both of the University of Kansas Melott is Atri's graduate advisor and a co-author on the current study proposed that the synchronicity of these two cycles is no accident.

A surge in cosmic ray exposure slashes species richness, the theory goes; biodiversity recovers, only to be cut down by the next surge 60-odd million years later.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40787453/ns/technology_and_science-space/

Did ya'll know you were travelling at 450,000 mph through space heading right toward the Virgo Cluster of galaxies?

And that doesn't include your 1,000 mph ride on the earth's surface as it spins around.

Or your 68,400 mph ride around the Sun.

on your trips.

OOPs, I forgot, ..... the part about our solar system peekng its head to the north of the galactic plane of our galaxy's disk,

well now, that would be happening on December 21,2012 which is the date the Mayans predicted would be the Doomsday date.

So, here's hoping ya'll "make it through next December".

And ps, click here:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40787453/ns/technology_and_science-space/

To see what our galactic plane looks like with the "green" line showing our solar system's movement "up n'' down" thru said galactic plane.

We're always trippin' out, galactically.