milky way

Sticks and Stones: The Molecular Clouds in the Heart of the Milky WaySticks and Stones: The Molecular Clouds in the Heart of the Milky Way

Sticks and Stones: The Molecular Clouds in the Heart of the Milky Way

The Central Molecular Zone (CMZ) at the heart of the Milky Way holds a lot of gas. It contains about…

1 month ago
The Most Accurate View of the Milky WayThe Most Accurate View of the Milky Way

The Most Accurate View of the Milky Way

We can judge the value of any scientific endeavour based on how much of our knowledge it overturns or transforms.…

1 month ago
The Gaia Mission’s Science Operations are OverThe Gaia Mission’s Science Operations are Over

The Gaia Mission’s Science Operations are Over

The ESA has announced that Gaia's primary mission is coming to an end. The spacecraft's fuel is running low, and…

1 month ago
High Velocity Clouds Comprise Less of the Milky Way’s Mass Than We ThoughtHigh Velocity Clouds Comprise Less of the Milky Way’s Mass Than We Thought

High Velocity Clouds Comprise Less of the Milky Way’s Mass Than We Thought

A survey of high velocity clouds in the galactic halo of the Milky Way finds that they make up less…

3 months ago
We’re Living in an Abnormal GalaxyWe’re Living in an Abnormal Galaxy

We’re Living in an Abnormal Galaxy

Astronomers often use the Milky Way as a standard for studying how galaxies form and evolve. Since we're inside it,…

3 months ago
Astronomers Defy the Zone of Avoidance to Find Hundreds of New GalaxiesAstronomers Defy the Zone of Avoidance to Find Hundreds of New Galaxies

Astronomers Defy the Zone of Avoidance to Find Hundreds of New Galaxies

The Zone of Avoidance is a region of the sky that's obscured by the disk of the Milky Way. The…

3 months ago
eROSITA All-Sky Survey Takes the Local Hot Bubble’s TemperatureeROSITA All-Sky Survey Takes the Local Hot Bubble’s Temperature

eROSITA All-Sky Survey Takes the Local Hot Bubble’s Temperature

About half a century ago, astronomers theorized that the Solar System is situated in a low-density hot gas environment. This…

4 months ago
The GALAH Fourth Data Release Provides Vital Data on One Million Stars in the Milky Way.The GALAH Fourth Data Release Provides Vital Data on One Million Stars in the Milky Way.

The GALAH Fourth Data Release Provides Vital Data on One Million Stars in the Milky Way.

For the past ten years, Australia’s ARC Centre of Excellence in All Sky Astrophysics in 3 Dimensions (ASTRO 3D) has…

5 months ago
The Outer Reaches of the Milky Way are Full of Stars, and the JWST is Observing ThemThe Outer Reaches of the Milky Way are Full of Stars, and the JWST is Observing Them

The Outer Reaches of the Milky Way are Full of Stars, and the JWST is Observing Them

The Milky Way's outer reaches are coming into view thanks to the JWST. Astronomers pointed the powerful space telescope to…

5 months ago
Mapping the Milky Way’s Dark Matter HaloMapping the Milky Way’s Dark Matter Halo

Mapping the Milky Way’s Dark Matter Halo

Anytime astronomers talk of mapping the Milky Way I am always reminded how tricky the study of the Universe can…

8 months ago