ALMA maps the Milky Way’s chaotic center in unprecedented detail

Scientists using the ALMA telescope have produced the largest, most detailed image of the Milky Way’s chaotic center—the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ)—covering about 650 light-years. The mosaic reveals massive streams of turbulent gas, fast-moving stars, and rare structures like the Millimeter Ultra-Broad Line Object (MUBLO), offering new insights into how extreme galactic centers form stars and resemble early-universe environments. The ACES survey, involving ~160 scientists across 70 institutions, aims to develop a 3D CMZ map to unravel how matter flows and shapes star birth near Sagittarius A*.