Tag

Milky Way

All articles tagged with #milky way

space1 day ago•74 min saved

Milky Way's hidden history: Loki dwarf galaxy eaten, 20 stars reveal its remnants

Astronomers identified a set of 20 metal-poor stars in the Milky Way’s disk whose chemistry and orbits suggest they formed together in a single ancient dwarf galaxy nicknamed Loki, later accreted by the Milky Way. This supports the view that our galaxy built itself by swallowing many small galaxies, with Loki’s remnants offering a window into those early building blocks. The team used high‑resolution spectroscopy, orbital data, and simulations, and note Loki-like systems could still be hidden in the disk; future surveys may reveal thousands more stars with similar origins.

via Space|

#dwarf-galaxy #galactic-formation #loki

space2 days ago•15 min saved

Hidden Clues in the Milky Way: Remnant of a Small Galaxy Unearthed

Astronomers have identified a group of 20 ancient, very metal-poor stars in the Milky Way's disk with mixed prograde and retrograde orbits and nearly identical chemistry, suggesting they are remnants from a long-ago dwarf galaxy dubbed Loki, potentially swallowed about 10 billion years ago; while not definitive, the finding supports the view that the Milky Way grew through mergers, a conclusion increasingly supported by Gaia data and galactic archaeology.

via Space Daily|

#gaia-mission #galaxy-merger #loki

science3 days ago•18 min saved

Astronomers Trace Loki, a Dwarf Galaxy Consumed by the Milky Way, in Its Disk

Astronomers have found 20 metal-poor stars near the Milky Way's disk that likely originated in a now-destroyed dwarf galaxy called Loki; the stars' shared chemistry and orbits suggest Loki was absorbed about 10 billion years ago, offering new clues about the Milky Way's early growth through data from Gaia and follow-up observations.

via KSL.com|

#dwarf-galaxy #gaia #loki

science5 days ago•188 min saved

Milky Way's Ancient Meal: Loki's Remains Hint at a Dwarf Galaxy It Devoured

Astronomers using Gaia data have identified 20 metal-poor stars near the Milky Way's disk whose shared chemistry and orbital patterns suggest they originated in a now-destroyed dwarf galaxy nicknamed Loki. If confirmed, Loki would be a major building block in the Milky Way's history, accreted about 10 billion years ago, with both prograde and retrograde orbits indicating a complex merger that could revise our picture of the Galaxy’s growth alongside events like Gaia-Sausage-Enceladus.

via CNN|

#gaia-telescope #galactic-merger #loki-dwarf-galaxy

science8 days ago•6 min saved

Milky Way Masters: Award-Winning Dark-Sky Photos from Remote Skies

The Milky Way Photographer of the Year awards celebrate 25 awe-inspiring dark-sky images captured in remote locations worldwide, highlighting photographers’ patience and planning as they document the Milky Way’s arch above deserts, waterfalls, coasts, and mountains.

via Gizmodo|

#astronomy #astrophotography #dark-skies

space11 days ago•73 min saved

May 2026's new moon unlocks prime Milky Way and planet viewing

Space.com reports that the May 16, 2026 new moon will bring dark skies ideal for observing the Milky Way’s core, with Venus bright after sunset and Mars and Saturn rising near dawn as Jupiter remains visible after sunset. The article guides skygazers to seek dark locations away from light pollution and to use tools like Stellarium or Star Walk 2 to navigate the sky and even photograph the Milky Way.

via Space|

#mars #milky-way #new-moon

astronomy11 days ago•5 min saved

Milky Way Turbulence Reveals Hidden Structure in Distant Light

Astronomers using the VLBA tracked the quasar TXS 2005+403, 10 billion light-years away, as its radio waves were bent by turbulence in the Milky Way's ionized gas. The study finds persistent, patchy distortions rather than simple blur, providing a new probe of the Galaxy’s interstellar medium and informing models of star formation and cosmic-ray propagation.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#astronomy #interstellar-turbulence #milky-way

space13 days ago•6 min saved

Hubble survey hints Milky Way’s core formed later than previously believed

A new Hubble study of the Milky Way’s crowded galactic bulge suggests its stars may be younger than the traditional 10-billion-year figure, potentially revising the timeline of the galaxy’s growth. The survey will catalog 20–30 million objects in the bulge to map dust obscuration and star ages, complementing upcoming Roman Space Telescope observations that will monitor lensing events and stellar motions across millions of objects.

via Mashable|

#astronomical-survey #galactic-center #hubble-space-telescope

space14 days ago•63 min saved

Bones of Loki Reveal Ancient Milky Way Merger in Its Disk

Astronomers identified 20 old, very metal-poor stars orbiting close to the Milky Way’s disk whose chemistry and motions suggest they originated in a dwarf galaxy nicknamed Loki that merged with the Milky Way more than 10 billion years ago. The inferred Loki had about 1.4 billion solar masses, and the study shows how ancient mergers can leave detectable stellar signatures in the inner Galaxy; further observations are needed to confirm Loki and map similar remnants.

via Live Science|

#dwarf-galaxy #gaia #loki

science15 days ago•38 min saved

The Milky Way’s Core Unveiled: A High-Resolution Map of Galactic Gas

Astronomers released the largest, most detailed image of the Milky Way's center, created with ALMA's 66 antennas to map cold molecular gas and dust at millimeter wavelengths. The mosaic reveals intricate gas filaments and molecular fingerprints, offering new insight into how stars form in the extreme environment around the galactic center, including a mysterious millimeter ultra-broad line object (MUBLO) detected only by ALMA. The project will be complemented by JWST observations to place our Galaxy in broader cosmic context and to inform theories of solar-system formation.

via WBUR|

#alma #interstellar-medium #milky-way

photography15 days ago•14 min saved

Milky Way Masters: 2026 Photographer of the Year in Pictures

A Guardian gallery showcases a global roster of Milky Way photographs for 2026, featuring remote locations from New Zealand to Argentina and Spain. Photographers describe demanding shoots and sophisticated techniques—long exposures, focus stacking, and post-processing—to reveal the galaxy with extraordinary clarity, amid challenging terrain, harsh weather, and strict light-pollution limits, underscoring the value of dark-sky conservation.

via The Guardian|

#astrophotography #dark-sky-reserve #landscape-photography

science15 days ago•4 min saved

How a 1933 Hiss Gave Birth to Radio Astronomy

In 1933, Bell Labs engineer Karl Jansky investigated interference in long‑distance radio communications and detected a persistent, 23‑hour‑56‑minute hiss from a fixed region in space, tracing it to the Milky Way and revealing that stars emit radio waves—laying the groundwork for the field of radio astronomy.

via Indian Defence Review|

#bell-labs #karl-jansky #milky-way

space16 days ago•71 min saved

Milky Way Meets Lyrids: Breathtaking Skye Meteor Shower Photo

Astrophotographer Josh Dury captured a composite image of Lyrid meteors streaking across the Milky Way above Scotland's Isle of Skye, using a star tracker, a Sony A7S III and a wide-angle lens to stack about 30 seconds of exposures into a single shot that also shows the Milky Way’s core, the Three Brothers of Skye waterfalls, and bright stars like Vega, Deneb and Altair; he described the moment as magical and blended terrestrial and cosmic details in post-processing.

via Space|

#astrophotography #isle-of-skye #lyrid-meteor-shower

space18 days ago•1 min saved

Milky Way Lies in a Hidden Plane of Dark Matter

New simulations indicate the Milky Way sits inside a vast, flattened sheet of matter dominated by dark matter, extending tens of millions of light-years. This planar mass distribution helps explain why nearby galaxies mostly drift away rather than be drawn toward the Milky Way, matching the observed motions of over 30 neighboring galaxies. Further observations will show whether such cosmic sheets are common elsewhere and how they shape galaxy formation.

via BBC Sky at Night Magazine|

#cosmology #dark-matter #galaxy-dynamics

space18 days ago•71 min saved

May Brings the Milky Way Core into Sharp View for Stargazers

Space.com says May offers the best window to spot the Milky Way’s glowing core, especially around the May 16 new moon when skies are darkest. Peak visibility runs from midnight to dawn in dark-sky southern skies, with the core arching through Aquila, Scutum, Sagittarius and Scorpius. For best results, head to a dark location away from light pollution and use astronomy apps (e.g., Stellarium, Sky Safari) to plan, and consider astrophotography tips to capture the galaxy’s core.

via Space|

#astronomy #may #milky-way