Articles tagged with Milky Way
A team of astrophysicists has created a complete family tree of the Milky Way, revealing a previously unknown galaxy collision that permanently altered its appearance. The researchers used advanced computer simulations and artificial intelligence to study the merger history of the galaxy.
A study of ancient star orbits reveals unexpected patterns, contradicting previous assumptions about the Galaxy's metal-poor stars. The research, conducted by a team of astronomers, found that some of these stars orbit in previously unpredicted paths, similar to the Sun's path within the disk.
Researchers have made breakthrough discoveries about fast radio bursts (FRBs), a mysterious phenomenon. The studies reveal that magnetars, incredibly dense neutron stars, can produce FRBs through magnetic field dissipation. These findings narrow down the understanding of FRB mechanisms, offering new insights into this enigmatic field.
For the first time, astronomers have surveyed over 250 million stars in the Milky Way's bulge, measuring their chemical composition and gaining new insights into the galaxy's formation. The data will help scientists understand how the Milky Way formed its central bulge and gain a better understanding of other galaxies.
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have discovered the first shell-like formations of stars in the Milky Way, created by a 2.7 billion-year-old broadside collision with a dwarf galaxy. The findings offer new insights into the ancient event and its potential implications for other stellar phenomena.
The Milky Way's circumgalactic medium (CGM) has a disk-like geometry, with denser areas where stars are forming and material is being traded between the galaxy and the CGM. The discovery provides insight into the galaxy's formation and evolution, as well as its interaction with the surrounding universe.
Astronomers used the VLBA to measure the distance to magnetar XTE J1810-197, one of the closest known at about 8100 light-years. This precise measurement can help determine if magnetars generate Fast Radio Bursts, a long-mysterious phenomenon.
Astronomers have discovered a halo of warm gas surrounding the Magellanic Clouds, which explains the formation of the massive stream of gas in the Milky Way. The new model explains how the stream adopted its filamentous shape and why it lacks stars.
A new study resolves the Galactic bar paradox by proposing that the central region of the Milky Way is connected to the spiral arm in a 'cosmic dance', causing contradictory estimates of motion. The bar's size and rotational speed fluctuate rapidly, making it appear larger and slower at certain times.
Researchers have discovered a dense, cold gas ejected from the centre of the Milky Way, which could impact star formation and galaxy stability. The finding raises new questions about what's happening in the galactic centre, particularly with regards to the massive black hole at its heart.
Astronomers using ALMA have discovered the most distant Milky Way look-alike galaxy, SPT0418-47, which is surprisingly unchaotic and appears as a ring of light in the sky. The discovery challenges our understanding of how galaxies form and gives new insights into the past of the Universe.
A team of astronomers discovered a stellar stream composed of the remnants of an ancient globular cluster torn apart by the Milky Way's gravity 2 billion years ago. The Phoenix Stream is distinct from other globular clusters and suggests that there may be no minimum abundance of heavier elements required for their formation.
Astronomers have found a strange dismembered star cluster at the galaxy's edge, with lower quantities of heavier elements than other globular clusters. The discovery poses significant problems for current ideas on globular cluster origins.
Researchers propose a simple model explaining galaxy quenching, attributing it to central black hole 'feedback' that disrupts gas supply. The model reveals that larger galaxies evolve further before their black holes can grow large enough to quench star formation.
Researchers from Caltech and institutions like Northwestern University used deep learning and supercomputing to identify Nyx, a product of a long-ago galaxy merger. The discovery provides the first indication that a dwarf galaxy merged with the Milky Way disk.
A new study published in Nature Astronomy sheds light on the origin of carbon in the Milky Way, revealing that dying stars play a crucial role in its synthesis. The research team found that low-mass stars shed more massive remnants than previously thought, breaking a linear trend in star formation and planetary evolution.
A new study reveals that low-mass stars become white dwarfs, producing carbon essential for life, challenging previous theories. The findings place a minimum mass threshold of 1.5 solar masses for star-induced carbon enrichment.
A team of researchers has discovered a 'scientific red flag' in the center of the Milky Way, revealing new clues about the fundamental source of its power. The study uses optical light to analyze ionized gas, finding that at least 48% of hydrogen gas is ionized by an unknown source.
Astronomers have measured the Fermi Bubbles, two enormous outflows of high-energy gas emanating from the Milky Way, using the Wisconsin H-Alpha Mapper telescope. The findings refine our understanding of these mysterious blobs and provide new opportunities to study the galaxy's central region.
Researchers at Ohio State University found that the halo surrounding the Milky Way galaxy is much hotter than initially thought, with temperatures reaching up to 10 million degrees Kelvin. This new discovery could help astronomers understand how galaxies form and grow, as well as the elements that contribute to these halos.
Astronomers have captured an image of a super-rare type of galaxy with a 'ring of fire' structure, existing 11 billion years ago. This discovery is expected to shake up theories about the earliest formation of galactic structures and how they evolve.
Astronomers have created the most detailed evolutionary history of the Milky Way up to now, combining apparent luminosity with measured distance and accurate star models. The study reveals well-defined periods of great activity in star formation, including dramatic episodes that stimulated new star creation.
A new study by University of Arkansas astrophysicist Daniel Whitmire contradicts a previous theory that giant elliptical galaxies are more likely to host technological civilizations. The study suggests that galaxies like the Milky Way, where most stars and planets reside, are more likely to harbor intelligent life.
Researchers used satellite galaxies Draco and Fornax to test the self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) model, which explains diverse dark matter distributions. SIDM produces novel signatures in subhalos that differ from the prevailing Cold Dark Matter theory.
Researchers have found a connection between the size and structure of galaxies and dark matter halos, using observations of faint galaxies around the Milky Way. They also discovered more evidence for the existence of Large Magellanic Cloud satellite galaxies, predicting an additional 150 or more very faint satellites awaiting discovery.
A new study from the University of Michigan and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has found no evidence that sterile neutrinos are dark matter. The research team used archival data from the XMM-Newton space X-ray telescope to search for signs of dark matter in the Milky Way galaxy, but their analysis yielded no results.
Researchers develop new technique to analyze X-ray telescope observations of 'empty' space within Milky Way galaxy, finding no evidence for 3.5 keV line associated with dark matter decay. The study's results limit simple models of dark matter and pave the way for future discoveries.
The Breakthrough Listen Initiative has released nearly 2 petabytes of data from the most comprehensive survey yet of radio emissions from the Milky Way Galaxy and its central black hole. A new analysis of nearby stars that could see Earth transiting the sun was conducted, but no technosignatures were found.
A team of researchers used a single star affected by the Milky Way-Gaia-Enceladus collision to determine its age and date the event to approximately 11.5 billion years ago. The study provides insights into the impact of galaxy collisions on their evolution.
Astronomers have pinpointed an early galactic merger that helped shape the Milky Way, occurring 11.5 billion years ago when Gaia-Enceladus slammed into what then existed of the galaxy. This discovery provides important insights into the accretion process that formed the Milky Way.
A team of scientists has used data from the TESS satellite and ground-based telescopes to determine an ancient collision between our galaxy and Gaia-Enceladus occurred early in its history. The study reveals new insights into the history of the Milky Way, providing a timeline for the collision.
Astronomers have discovered a flock of young stars on the outskirts of the Milky Way, suggesting that material from nearby dwarf galaxies, the Magellanic Clouds, is forming new stars. The discovery implies that a stream of gas extending from the galaxies is closer to crashing into the Milky Way than previously thought.
Astronomers at Harvard University have discovered a giant, wave-shaped gaseous structure made up of interconnected stellar nurseries in the Milky Way galaxy. The 'Radcliffe wave' stretches over trillions of miles and challenges traditional views of nearby stellar nurseries as an expanding ring.
The gigantic spiral galaxy UGC 2885 is 2.5 times wider than the Milky Way and contains 10 times as many stars, with modest ongoing star birth at half the rate of our galaxy.
A new image of the Milky Way's center captures a colorful composite of giant molecular clouds, with details on radio filaments and star factories. Scientists use GISMO data to observe microwaves at large scales, making detailed observations for the first time.
The Goddard-IRAM Superconducting 2-Millimeter Observer (GISMO) instrument has mapped the inner Milky Way, revealing a feature resembling a cosmic 'candy cane' with two prominent radio filaments. The image showcases the galaxy's central zone, highlighting areas of star formation and high-speed electron spirals.
Astronomers used ESO's VLT to observe the Milky Way's central region, revealing a burst of star formation that occurred around one billion years ago. This intense event resulted in over 100,000 supernova explosions and is similar to 'starburst' galaxies.
A team of scientists used data from NASA's Kepler telescope to calculate that the thick disc of the Milky Way is about 10 billion years old. This finding resolves a long-standing question about the age distribution of stars in the disc.
A radio telescope in the Western Australian outback has captured a new view of the Milky Way's centre, revealing remnants of 27 massive stars that exploded as supernovae. The data comes from the GaLactic and Extragalactic All-sky MWA survey, which used low-frequency radio waves to map the sky.
Astronomers discovered ultrafast star S5-HVS1, ejected by supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* five million years ago. The star travels ten times faster than most stars in the Milky Way, with a speed of 6 million km/h.
The HERON collaboration completes the largest survey of nearby galaxy haloes, finding that diameter correlates with galaxy brightness; vast haloes found in bright galaxies, also seen in smaller discs. The team's low-cost system reveals faint stars tracing dark matter structures, offering new insights into galaxy evolution.
Researchers at University of California, Riverside discover that Milky Way is undergoing a massive merger with its largest satellite galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud. Several ultrafaint dwarfs and relatively bright satellite galaxies were likely stolen from LMC.
Astronomers used Hubble data to find a surplus of incoming gas in the Milky Way, with unknown sources contributing to the excess. The galaxy's balance regulates star and planet formation.
A massive explosion occurred in the center of the Milky Way 3.5 million years ago, creating two enormous 'ionisation cones' that sliced through the galaxy and impacted the Magellanic Stream. The blast was so powerful it lasted for 300,000 years and was triggered by nuclear activity associated with the black hole.
Researchers have discovered that the galaxy Andromeda has eaten several smaller galaxies over the last few billion years, leaving behind remnants in large streams of stars. The study found faint traces of even earlier consumed galaxies, possibly dating back to 10 billion years ago.
Astronomers have uncovered two historic events in the Andromeda Galaxy, with evidence suggesting major changes to its structure occurred a few billion years ago and much earlier. The findings provide insights into the evolution and formation of both the Andromeda Galaxy and our own Milky Way.
Researchers have mapped out broad regions in the centre of the galaxy, tracing energetic regions in space with radio emission. The discovery suggests a violent eruption formed twin bubbles that are now visible for the first time, offering insights into the Galactic Centre and supermassive black hole.
An international team of astronomers has detected radio bubbles with South Africa's MeerKAT telescope, revealing a massive hourglass-shaped structure hundreds of light-years tall. The discovery is believed to be the result of an energetic burst near the supermassive black hole, providing insights into the Milky Way's central region.
Astronomers have discovered a pair of enormous radio-emitting bubbles in the center of the Milky Way, likely formed by a powerful eruption near the galaxy's supermassive black hole. The hourglass-like feature dwarfs all other radio structures in the galactic center.
Researchers analyze data from Gaia satellite and spectroscopy to find that older stars move more rapidly in and out of the Galaxy's disk. The findings provide insights into the history of our Galaxy and inform theories about star formation and evolution.
Researchers have charted the Milky Way in three dimensions using thousands of pulsating stars, revealing a warped and twisted stellar disc. The new map provides a broad view of our place among the stars and constrains the previously observed shape of the Galaxy's disk.
Astronomers have discovered that high-density gas, the material for stars, accounts for only 3% of the total mass of gas distributed in the Milky Way. This finding implies a small number of opportunities to form stars and will be investigated further using Fugin data.
A study led by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias reveals the early days of the Milky Way's formation, identifying two distinct stellar components that merged to create our galaxy. The research uses accurate stellar ages and Gaia space telescope data to uncover the birth of the Milky Way with unprecedented detail.
Researchers have localized a fast radio burst, FRB 190523, to a galaxy 7.9 billion light-years away, providing new clues in the ongoing cosmic mystery. The discovery suggests that every galaxy, including our Milky Way, can generate an FRB.
A study by RIT scientist Sukanya Chakrabarti found that the Antlia 2 dwarf galaxy's collision with the Milky Way produced the characteristic ripples in its outer disc. The discovery could help develop methods to hunt for dark galaxies and solve the long-standing puzzle of dark matter.
Researchers have imaged a never-before-seen disk of cool, interstellar gas wrapped around the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. The disk is composed of phenomenally hot and comparatively cooler gases, with temperatures ranging from 10 million to 10 thousand degrees Celsius.
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured an image of the galaxy Messier 90, which is moving towards the Milky Way at a speed of approximately 60 million light-years. This rare phenomenon is known as blueshift, where the galaxy's light is compressed and shifted towards the blue end of the spectrum.
Researchers used chemical composition of stars to determine Gaia Sausage's age, estimating it formed around 12.5 billion years ago. The study suggests a collision with the Milky Way disrupted star formation in our galaxy.
Researchers found a star in the Milky Way Galaxy with low magnesium levels and high Europium levels, indicating it formed elsewhere, likely in a now vanished dwarf galaxy. The discovery suggests galaxy evolution models are supported by the presence of similar chemical signatures in other stars from dwarf galaxies orbiting the Milky Way.
A team of scientists discovered a star with unusually low magnesium and excessive heavy elements, indicating it originated from a disrupted dwarf galaxy. The study provides insight into the chemical evolution of dwarf galaxies and their role in shaping the Milky Way.