[ad_1] The most accurate three-dimensional map of the Milky Way ever seen is revealing the secrets of our galaxy. Peering deep into the anticenter – the opposite direction to the galactic center – is helping astronomers reconstruct the Milky Way’s wild past. The European Space Agency’s Gaia satellite, launched in …
Read More »
[ad_1] Earth appears to have been misplaced. According to a new map of the Milky Way, the location of the Solar System is not where we thought it was. Not only is it closer to the galactic center – and the supermassive hole in it, Sagittarius A * – it’s …
Read More »
[ad_1] Some of the oldest stars in the Milky Way are not where we expect them to be. One of the ways we classify stars is their metallicity. This is the fraction of heavier elements a star has compared to hydrogen and helium. It’s a useful metric because a star’s …
Read More »
[ad_1] Fast radio bursts are some of the more mysterious events known in astronomy, but they are slowly becoming better understood. Case in point: Recent observations of a fast radio explosion in the Milky Way reveal the power plant behind the explosions: a flaming magnetar. In 2007, astronomers first detected …
Read More »
[ad_1] The Milky Way collided and merged with many other galaxies over the course of its long life, but reconstructing its history was a tall order. A new analysis of dense star clusters orbiting the Milky Way has now given us the story of the most complete galactic merger ever. …
Read More »
[ad_1] A massive dying star is not a peaceful event. It expels its outer material in a colossal explosion, irradiating space with high-energy gamma radiation for several years. However, empty space isn’t the only thing exposed to this radiation. New research suggests that Earth’s ancient trees may contain evidence of …
Read More »