Milky Way : Science World Report

Oct 14, 2014 12:00 PM EDT

Scientists Probe Mysteries at the Heart of the Milky Way Galaxy

Scientists have long wondered whether matter is falling into the massive black hole in the center of our Milky Way galaxy, or being ejected from it. Now, scientists are searching for an answer.

Sep 17, 2014 12:10 PM EDT

The Violent Origins of Disc Galaxies Revealed: Galactic Mergers

Why are there so many disc galaxies like our Milky Way in the universe? Astronomers may have found the reason, thanks to ALMA.

Sep 16, 2014 10:28 AM EDT

Astronomers Chart 219 Million Stars in the Milky Way Galaxy with New Map

Scientists have made new strides when it comes to cataloguing the stars in our Milky Way galaxy. They've found that no fewer than 219 million stars are located in our home galaxy, revealing a bit more about the features of the Milky Way.

Sep 04, 2014 07:01 AM EDT

Milky Way Galaxy is Part of Massive Galactic Supercluster, Immense Heaven

Our Milky Way galaxy isn't alone. Astronomers have found that it's part of a newly identified and huge supercluster of galaxies, which have been dubbed "Laniakea," which means "immense heaven" in Hawaiian.

Aug 15, 2014 01:02 PM EDT

New Milky Way Maps May Solve Stardust Mystery

Astronomers have created some astonishing new maps of the dusty material between the stars of our Milky Way galaxy. The findings may just bring researchers one step closer to cracking a stardust puzzle that has stumped scientists for nearly a century.

Jul 30, 2014 07:14 AM EDT

The Milky Way Galaxy Weighs In: Andromeda May be Twice as Fat

Scientists have taken a closer look at our galaxy and our neighbor, Andromeda, and have found that the Milky Way may actually be less massive than expected.

Jun 24, 2014 09:27 AM EDT

New 3D Map Reveals the Dusty Structure of the Milky Way Galaxy

Astronomers are learning more about the Milky Way than ever before. They've created a detailed, 3D map of the dusty structure as seen from Earth's northern hemisphere. The new map could help astronomers in future studies of this region of space.

Mar 23, 2014 11:54 PM EDT

Spitzer Telescope's 360-Degree View of Our Galaxy

Touring the Milky Way now is as easy as clicking a button with NASA's new zoomable, 360-degree mosaic presented Thursday at the TEDActive 2014 Conference in Vancouver, Canada.

Mar 13, 2014 04:08 PM EDT

The Milky Way Galaxy Sits Among a Council of Giants

We live in a galaxy known as the Milky Way -- a vast conglomeration of 300 billion stars, planets whizzing around them, and clouds of gas and dust floating in between.

Jan 20, 2014 11:22 PM EST

Astronomers Discover Milky Way Galaxy Grew from the Inside Out

Astronomers have found evidence backing up theoretically predicted divisions in the chemical composition of the stars that make up the Milky Way's disc, which suggests that stars in the inner regions of the Galactic dis were the first to form. This means that our galaxy grew from the inside-out.

Dec 18, 2013 07:25 AM EST

Massive Stars Reveal Milky Way's 'Missing' Four Arms

Astronomers have debated exactly how many arms our Milky Way Galaxy has. While some were certain that our galaxy had four spiral arms, images taken by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope showed only two arms. Now, scientists have reaffirmed that our galaxy has four spiral arms, paving the way to future s...

Sep 12, 2013 09:07 AM EDT

Astronomers Map the Peanut in the Center of the Milky Way Galaxy (Video)

Astronomers have used data from ESO telescopes to make the best three-dimensional map yet of the central parts of the Milky Way. It turns out that the inner regions, surprisingly, look a bit like a peanut.