Arm's Trace: Astronomers Spot a Newfound Piece of the Milky Way Galaxy
Monday, May 23, 2011 - 18:00
in Astronomy & Space
Fantastically detailed, visually arresting photographs of Andromeda, a spiral galaxy that lies 2.5 million light-years from Earth, have been available for years. But getting a full panorama of our own Milky Way Galaxy is considerably more difficult. Nestled in the thick of the galaxy , we are unable to see it from the outside. For astronomers trying to map out the Milky Way's structure in detail, the exercise is a bit like trying to figure out what one's own face looks like--without the aid of a mirror. [More]