Milky Way

The Milky Way is a disk galaxy with hundreds of billions of stars. A new study indicates it underwent a burst of vigorous star formation that peaked about 2 billion years ago. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (SSC/Caltech)
Two billion years ago, our galaxy had a burst of star birth
Phil Plait

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We live in a warped galaxy, say new observations of the Milky Way
Elizabeth Rayne
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NASA image of warped galaxy
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See the Milky Way from its center with NASA’s 4K 360-degree VR simulation
Elizabeth Rayne
Mar 27, 2019
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NASA Milky Way VR experience
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What is the mass of the Milky Way?
Phil Plait
Mar 8, 2019
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The most current map of the Milky Way is shown in an artist’s representation. The Sun is directly below the galactic center, near the Orion Spur. The Scutum-Centaurus arms sweeps out to the right and above, going behind the center to the far side.
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Breathe easy: You have an extra 600 million years before Andromeda crashes into us
Phil Plait
Feb 11, 2019
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Illustration of a cosmic train wreck: The Milky Way/Andromeda galaxy collision, four billion years from now. Credit: NASA, ESA, Z. Levay and R. van der Marel (STScI), T. Hallas, and A. Mellinger
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The Milky Way ate another galaxy, and we can still see the undigested bits
Phil Plait
Nov 6, 2018
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Artwork depicting the stars from Gaia-Enceladus (arrows indicate their velocity) merging with the Milky Way based on actual physical simulations.
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The Milky Way’s sibling spiral star system
Phil Plait
Oct 19, 2018
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The central region of the gorgeous spiral galaxy NGC 6744, imaged using the Hubble Space Telescope. Credit: NASA, ESA, and the LEGUS team
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Stunning chaos in the galactic core
Phil Plait
Jul 17, 2018
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The center of the Milky Way galaxy imaged in radio waves by the MeerKAT observatory. Supernova, stellar nurseries, and filaments of gas are strewn everywhere. Credit: MeerKAT
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Two planets discovered: One by gravity, one by accident [Part 1]
Phil Plait
May 29, 2018
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Artwork of a star and exoplanet. Credit: ESA/ATG medialab
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My god. It *is* full of stars.
Phil Plait
May 7, 2018
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The galactic center, a crowded metropolis of stars and dust. Credit: ESO/VVV Survey/D. Minniti & Acknowledgement: Ignacio Toledo
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Gaia: This is not a photo of the night sky
Phil Plait
Apr 30, 2018
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A section of the all-sky map made using the second data release from the Gaia mission. This maps the density of stars versus position, where brighter pixels are places with more stars. Credit: ESA/Gaia/DPAC
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Second Gaia star chart has been released, providing the most comprehensive view of the galaxy to date
Blair Marnell
Apr 25, 2018
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ESA Gaia
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A star is about to plunge head first toward a monster black hole. Astronomers are ready to watch.
Phil Plait
Mar 7, 2018
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Artwork depicting three stars and their orbits around Sgr A*, the supermassive black hole in the center of the Milky Way. Credit: ESO/M. Parsa/L. Calçada
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There is a hierarchy to the Universe
Phil Plait
Oct 3, 2017
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NGC 6874, a huge elliptical galaxy, surrounded by Coma Cluster galaxies, and tens of thousands of globular clusters. Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA
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Poli'ahu: Time-lapse of telescopes and stars dancing under Hawaiian skies
Phil Plait
May 18, 2017
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star trails over Mauna Kea
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What will the sky look like in five million years?
Phil Plait
Apr 13, 2017
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the sky in 5 million years
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