Tag: spiral

A warp in the Milky Way linked to galactic collision

When most of us picture the shape of the Milky Way, the galaxy that contains our own sun and hundreds of billions of other stars, we think of a central mass surrounded by a flat disc of stars that spiral around it. However, astronomers know that rather than being symmetrical, the disc structure is warped, more like the brim of a…

Strange fossil is the first to show an ammonite without its shell

Ammonites were swimming molluscs in the dinosaur age, and now we have found a fossil of one without its distinctive spiral shell – perhaps because it was attacked by a predator Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2265570-strange-fossil-is-the-first-to-show-an-ammonite-without-its-shell/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

Orion the Hunter is easy to spot

Orion is identifiable by his Belt, 3 medium-bright stars in a short, straight row at the mid-section of the Hunter. Source: https://earthsky.org/tonight/orion-the-hunter-is-easy-to-spot…

Image: Hubble views a dazzling ‘fireworks galaxy’

The galaxy NGC 6946 is nothing short of spectacular. In the last century alone, NGC 6946 has experienced 10 observed supernovae, earning its nickname as the Fireworks Galaxy. In comparison, our Milky Way averages just one to two supernova events per century. This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image shows the stars, spiral arms, and various stellar environments of NGC 6946 in…

Why are the stars so bright tonight?

In late December – and in January and February – our evening sky faces away from the Milky Way’s star-rich center. We look toward the depths of space beyond our galaxy’s boundaries and toward some close, bright stars in our local spiral arm. Source: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/star-seasonal-appearance-brightness…