Like early explorers mapping the continents of our globe, astronomers are busy charting the spiral structure of our galaxy. Using infrared images from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, scientists have discovered that the Milky Way's elegant spiral structure is dominated by just two arms. Previously, our galaxy was thought to possess four major arms. This artist's concept illustrates the new view of the Milky Way presented in St. Louis at the 212th American Astronomical Society meeting.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Found in: Atom & Cosmos
Teens take home science gold at Intel ISEF
One of the most abstract fields in math finds application in the 'real' world
Fine-tuning of technique used in other animals could enable personalized medicine
Simulation suggests long-term effect on sea level not as dire as some predictions
Coverage of the 2013 American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting
The Year in Science 2012
Three-part series on the scientific struggle to explain the conscious self
Tables of contents, columns and FAQs on SN Prime for iPad
Please alert Science News to any inappropriate posts by clicking the REPORT SPAM link within the post. Comments will be reviewed before posting.
You must register with Science News to add a comment. To log-in click here. To register as a new user, follow this link.