Rethinking the Shape of the Milky Way Galaxy.

New research suggests that the Milky Way galaxy may have a different shape than previously thought, with just two main arms instead of four. Astronomers used data from multiple sources, including the Gaia space telescope, to map the galaxy and propose a new model of its shape as a barred spiral galaxy. The team suggests that this new model could provide an alternative basis for future studies of galactic structure, and further observations and data from Gaia are expected to reveal more details.