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A new 3D map of the #MilkyWay reveals our galaxy's warped shape in unprecedented detail
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Researchers at the University of Warsaw in Poland measured the distances between thousands of stars and our sun to chart the stars' three-dimensional coordinates across the Milky Way.
The result is an unprecedented large-scale 3D map of the galaxy. And that map shows that the edges of the Milky way bend slightly, giving it a warped S shape.
The first 3D map of the galaxy that showed this warped curve was published in February by researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing.
The researchers used a telescope at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile to image the entire visible Milky Way over 100 times to make their map. To make these difficult measurements, Skowron's team looked for "cepheid" stars.
Researchers can measure the distance of a cepheid star with an accuracy of more than 95% by using the star's pulsation patterns to determine its luminosity.
The researchers guessed that the clustered cepheids may have formed together, so they created a simulation of three waves of star formation to test that theory. The oldest stars, shown in red, are 400 million years old, while the youngest, in blue, are 30 million years old.
More research like this to map the ages and locations of stars in the Milky Way could can help scientists piece together how our galaxy formed.
