OUR GALAXY

Projected birds-eye view of the Milky Way, based on a census of 500,000 stars.

New arm of Milky Way galaxy discovered

Australian astronomers have discovered an extra cosmic arm in the Milky Way that they believe wraps around the outskirts of the vast galaxy like a thick gas border.
Astronomers at scientific research group, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), hope the find will help paint a better picture of the Milky Way galaxy, which is home to Earth.
CSIRO scientist Naomi McClure-Griffiths said the gas border, which is 6500 light years thick, showed the Milky Way had a structure similar to those of most other galaxies, which have gassy spiral arms extending beyond the more central stellar spiral arms.

Our growing, breathing galaxy

Long assumed to be a relic of the distant past, the Milky Way turns out to be a dynamic, living object.
The Milky Way is not a finished work but rather a body that is still forming. This realization has relied heavily on observing other galaxies and bringing the lessons back home. Our galaxy is tearing apart small satellite galaxies and incorporating their stars. Meanwhile gas clouds are continually arriving from intergalactic space. No longer can researchers speak of galaxy formation in the past tense.