the.com/spiral arms
Astronomers using XMM-Newton and Chandra space telescopes have recalibrated measurements of the Milky Way's outer spiral arms, finding them 10 percent farther away than previously thought. This revision expands our understanding of our galaxy's true size and structure.
what's happening
·XMM-Newton and Chandra data reveal outer spiral arms are more distant than earlier estimates
·The Milky Way's physical dimensions have been adjusted upward based on new distance calculations
·Galaxy mergers can trigger star formation variations within spiral arm structures
·Spiral galaxies display distinct patterns of gas-to-star conversion across their arms
drawn from European Space Agency, NASA Science (.gov), IFLScience, Encyclopedia Britannica · updated 1d ago