This illustration shows a massive star on the brink of explosion.
This illustration shows a massive star on the brink of explosion.
Chuck Carter/Caltech
Meet the fastest asteroid in our solar system, which zips around the sun every 113 days. This artist's rendering shows the asteroid 2021 PH27 (top right) and Mercury (below) orbiting the sun.
Meet the fastest asteroid in our solar system, which zips around the sun every 113 days. This artist's rendering shows the asteroid 2021 PH27 (top right) and Mercury (below) orbiting the sun.
CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/J. da Silva
A ghostly set of X-ray rings were found around a black hole with a companion star. These rings are created by light echoes.
A ghostly set of X-ray rings were found around a black hole with a companion star. These rings are created by light echoes.
CXC/U.Wisc-Madison/S. Heinz et al./Pan-STARRS/NASA
This image, taken with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array in Chile, shows the PDS 70 system 400 light-years away. This planetary system is still forming and still in the process of being formed. One of the planets in the system has a moon-forming disk around it.
This image, taken with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array in Chile, shows the PDS 70 system 400 light-years away. This planetary system is still forming and still in the process of being formed. One of the planets in the system has a moon-forming disk around it.
ALMA/ESO/NAOJ/NRAO/Benisty et al.
This image shows supernova 2018zd (pictured as the large white dot on the right), a new type of supernova called an electron capture. To the left is the galaxy NGC 2146.
This image shows supernova 2018zd (pictured as the large white dot on the right), a new type of supernova called an electron capture. To the left is the galaxy NGC 2146.
NASA/STSCI/J. Depasquale; Las Cumbres Observatory
This image from the STARFORGE simulation shows the "Anvil of Creation," a giant gas cloud with individual stars forming inside of it.
This image from the STARFORGE simulation shows the "Anvil of Creation," a giant gas cloud with individual stars forming inside of it.
From Northwestern University/UT Austin
Astronomers used NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory to study the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A and discovered titanium, shown in light blue, blasting out of it. The colors represent other elements detected, like iron (orange), oxygen (purple), silicon (red) and magnesium (green).
Astronomers used NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory to study the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A and discovered titanium, shown in light blue, blasting out of it. The colors represent other elements detected, like iron (orange), oxygen (purple), silicon (red) and magnesium (green).
T. Sato et al./RIKEN/CXC/NASA
The supermassive black hole at the center of the M87 galaxy, the first to ever be imaged, can now be seen in polarized light. Swirling lines reveal the magnetic field near the edge of the black hole.
The supermassive black hole at the center of the M87 galaxy, the first to ever be imaged, can now be seen in polarized light. Swirling lines reveal the magnetic field near the edge of the black hole.
European Southern Observatory
This image from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey shows the galaxy J0437+2456, which includes a supermassive black hole at its center that appears to be moving.
This image from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey shows the galaxy J0437+2456, which includes a supermassive black hole at its center that appears to be moving.
Sloan Digital Sky Survey
This artist's impression shows how the distant quasar P172+18 and its radio jets may have looked 13 billion years ago. The light from the quasar has taken that long to reach us, so astronomers observed the quasar as it looked in the early universe.
This artist's impression shows how the distant quasar P172+18 and its radio jets may have looked 13 billion years ago. The light from the quasar has taken that long to reach us, so astronomers observed the quasar as it looked in the early universe.
M. Kornmesser/European Southern Observatory
This image shows the vicinity of the Tucana II ultrafaint dwarf galaxy, captured by the SkyMapper telescope.
This image shows the vicinity of the Tucana II ultrafaint dwarf galaxy, captured by the SkyMapper telescope.
Anirudh Chiti/MIT
These images show two giant radio galaxies found with using the MeerKAT telescope. The red in both images shows the radio light being emitted by the galaxies against a background of the sky as it is seen in visible light.
These images show two giant radio galaxies found with using the MeerKAT telescope. The red in both images shows the radio light being emitted by the galaxies against a background of the sky as it is seen in visible light.
I. Heywood/Oxford/Rhodes/SARAO
This artist's conception of quasar J0313-1806 depicts it as it was 670 million years after the Big Bang. Quasars are highly energetic objects at the centers of galaxies, powered by black holes and brighter than entire galaxies.
This artist's conception of quasar J0313-1806 depicts it as it was 670 million years after the Big Bang. Quasars are highly energetic objects at the centers of galaxies, powered by black holes and brighter than entire galaxies.
NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/J. da Silva
Shown here is a phenomenon known as zodiacal light, which is caused by sunlight reflecting off tiny dust particles in the inner solar system.
Shown here is a phenomenon known as zodiacal light, which is caused by sunlight reflecting off tiny dust particles in the inner solar system.
Zolt Levay/Space Telescope Science Institute
This artist's impression of the distant galaxy ID2299 shows some of its gas being ejected by a "tidal tail" as a result of a merger between two galaxies.
This artist's impression of the distant galaxy ID2299 shows some of its gas being ejected by a "tidal tail" as a result of a merger between two galaxies.
M. Kornmesser/ESO
This diagram shows the two most important companion galaxies to the Milky Way: the Large Magellanic Cloud (left) and the Small Magellanic Cloud. It was made using data from the European Space Agency Gaia satellite.
This diagram shows the two most important companion galaxies to the Milky Way: the Large Magellanic Cloud (left) and the Small Magellanic Cloud. It was made using data from the European Space Agency Gaia satellite.
Laurent Chemin/ESA/Gaia/DPAC
The Blue Ring Nebula is thought to be a never-before-seen phase that occurs after the merger of two stars. Debris flowing out from the merger was sliced by a disk around one of the stars, creating two cones of material glowing in ultraviolet light.
The Blue Ring Nebula is thought to be a never-before-seen phase that occurs after the merger of two stars. Debris flowing out from the merger was sliced by a disk around one of the stars, creating two cones of material glowing in ultraviolet light.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/M. Seibert/K. Hoadley/GALEX Team
The red supergiant star Betelgeuse, in the constellation of Orion, experienced unprecedented dimming late in 2019. This image was taken in January using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope.
The red supergiant star Betelgeuse, in the constellation of Orion, experienced unprecedented dimming late in 2019. This image was taken in January using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope.
ESO/M. Montargès et al.
This is an infrared image of Apep, a Wolf-Rayet star binary system located 8,000 light-years from Earth.
This is an infrared image of Apep, a Wolf-Rayet star binary system located 8,000 light-years from Earth.
European Southern Observatory
An artist's illustration, left, helps visualize the details of an unusual star system, GW Orionis, in the Orion constellation. The system's circumstellar disk is broken, resulting in misaligned rings around its three stars.
An artist's illustration, left, helps visualize the details of an unusual star system, GW Orionis, in the Orion constellation. The system's circumstellar disk is broken, resulting in misaligned rings around its three stars.
ESO/L. Calçada, Exeter/Kraus et al.
This is a simulation of two spiral black holes that merge and emit gravitational waves.
This is a simulation of two spiral black holes that merge and emit gravitational waves.
N. Fischer, H. Pfeiffer, A. Buonanno, MPIGP, SXS Collaboration
This artist's illustration shows the unexpected dimming of the star Betelgeuse.
This artist's illustration shows the unexpected dimming of the star Betelgeuse.
ESO, ESA/Hubble, M. Kornmesser
This extremely distant galaxy, which looks similar to our own Milky Way, appears like a ring of light.
This extremely distant galaxy, which looks similar to our own Milky Way, appears like a ring of light.
Rizzo et al./ALMA/European Southern Observatory
This artist's interpretation shows the calcium-rich supernova 2019ehk. The orange represents the calcium-rich material created in the explosion. Purple reveals gas shed by the star right before the explosion.
This artist's interpretation shows the calcium-rich supernova 2019ehk. The orange represents the calcium-rich material created in the explosion. Purple reveals gas shed by the star right before the explosion.
Aaron M. Geller, Northwestern University
The blue dot at the center of this image marks the approximate location of a supernova event which occurred 140 million light-years from Earth, where a white dwarf exploded and created an ultraviolet flash. It was located close to tail of the Draco constellation.
The blue dot at the center of this image marks the approximate location of a supernova event which occurred 140 million light-years from Earth, where a white dwarf exploded and created an ultraviolet flash. It was located close to tail of the Draco constellation.
Northwestern University
This radar image captured by NASA's Magellan mission to Venus in 1991 shows a corona, a large circular structure 120 miles in diameter, named Aine Corona.
This radar image captured by NASA's Magellan mission to Venus in 1991 shows a corona, a large circular structure 120 miles in diameter, named Aine Corona.
From NASA/JPL
When a star's mass is ejected during a supernova, it expands quickly. Eventually, it will slow and form a hot bubble of glowing gas. A white dwarf will emerge from this gas bubble and move across the galaxy.
When a star's mass is ejected during a supernova, it expands quickly. Eventually, it will slow and form a hot bubble of glowing gas. A white dwarf will emerge from this gas bubble and move across the galaxy.
Mark Garlick/University of Warwick
The afterglow of short gamma ray burst that was detected 10 billion light-years away is shown here in a circle. This image was taken by the Gemini-North telescope.
The afterglow of short gamma ray burst that was detected 10 billion light-years away is shown here in a circle. This image was taken by the Gemini-North telescope.
International Gemini Observatory/K. Paterson/W. Fong/Northwestern University
This Hubble Space Telescope image shows NGC 7513, a barred spiral galaxy 60 million light-years away. Due to the expansion of the universe, the galaxy appears to be moving away from the Milky Way at an accelerate rate.
This Hubble Space Telescope image shows NGC 7513, a barred spiral galaxy 60 million light-years away. Due to the expansion of the universe, the galaxy appears to be moving away from the Milky Way at an accelerate rate.
Hubble Space Telescope/NASA/ESA/M. Stiavelli
This artist's concept illustration shows what the luminous blue variable star in the Kinman Dwarf galaxy may have looked like before it mysteriously disappeared.
This artist's concept illustration shows what the luminous blue variable star in the Kinman Dwarf galaxy may have looked like before it mysteriously disappeared.
L. Calçada/ESO
This is an artist's illustration of a supermassive black hole and its surrounding disk of gas. Inside this disk are two smaller black holes orbiting one another. Researchers identified a flare of light suspected to have come from one such binary pair soon after they merged into a larger black hole.
This is an artist's illustration of a supermassive black hole and its surrounding disk of gas. Inside this disk are two smaller black holes orbiting one another. Researchers identified a flare of light suspected to have come from one such binary pair soon after they merged into a larger black hole.
Robert Hurt/California Institute of Technology
This image, taken from a video, shows what happens as two objects of different masses merge together and create gravitational waves.
This image, taken from a video, shows what happens as two objects of different masses merge together and create gravitational waves.
Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics/Simulating eXtreme Spacetimes (SXS) Collaboration
This is an artist's impression showing the detection of a repeating fast radio burst seen in blue, which is in orbit with an astrophysical object seen in pink.
This is an artist's impression showing the detection of a repeating fast radio burst seen in blue, which is in orbit with an astrophysical object seen in pink.
Kristi Mickaliger
Fast radio bursts, which make a splash by leaving their host galaxy in a bright burst of radio waves, helped detect "missing matter" in the universe.
Fast radio bursts, which make a splash by leaving their host galaxy in a bright burst of radio waves, helped detect "missing matter" in the universe.
ICRAR
A new type of explosion was found in a tiny galaxy 500 million light-years away from Earth. This type of explosion is referred to as a fast blue optical transient.
A new type of explosion was found in a tiny galaxy 500 million light-years away from Earth. This type of explosion is referred to as a fast blue optical transient.
Giacomo Terreran/Northwestern University
Astronomers have discovered a rare type of galaxy described as a "cosmic ring of fire." This artist's illustration shows the galaxy as it existed 11 billion years ago.
Astronomers have discovered a rare type of galaxy described as a "cosmic ring of fire." This artist's illustration shows the galaxy as it existed 11 billion years ago.
James Josephides/Swinburne Astronomy Productions
This is an artist's impression of the Wolfe Disk, a massive rotating disk galaxy in the early universe.
This is an artist's impression of the Wolfe Disk, a massive rotating disk galaxy in the early universe.
NRAO/AUI/NSF, S. Dagnello
A bright yellow "twist" near the center of this image shows where a planet may be forming around the AB Aurigae star. The image was captured by the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope.
A bright yellow "twist" near the center of this image shows where a planet may be forming around the AB Aurigae star. The image was captured by the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope.
ESO/Boccaletti et al.
This artist's illustration shows the orbits of two stars and an invisible black hole 1,000 light-years from Earth. This system includes one star (small orbit seen in blue) orbiting a newly discovered black hole (orbit in red), as well as a third star in a wider orbit (also in blue).
This artist's illustration shows the orbits of two stars and an invisible black hole 1,000 light-years from Earth. This system includes one star (small orbit seen in blue) orbiting a newly discovered black hole (orbit in red), as well as a third star in a wider orbit (also in blue).
European Southern Observatory/ESO/L. Calçada
This illustration shows a star's core, known as a white dwarf, pulled into orbit around a black hole. During each orbit, the black hole rips off more material from the star and pulls it into a glowing disk of material around the black hole. Before its encounter with the black hole, the star was a red giant in the last stages of stellar evolution.
This illustration shows a star's core, known as a white dwarf, pulled into orbit around a black hole. During each orbit, the black hole rips off more material from the star and pulls it into a glowing disk of material around the black hole. Before its encounter with the black hole, the star was a red giant in the last stages of stellar evolution.
NASA/CXO/CSIC-INTA/G.Miniutti et al./CXC/M. Weiss
This artist's illustration shows the collision of two 125-mile-wide icy, dusty bodies orbiting the bright star Fomalhaut, located 25 light-years away. The observation of the aftermath of this collision was once thought to be an exoplanet.
This artist's illustration shows the collision of two 125-mile-wide icy, dusty bodies orbiting the bright star Fomalhaut, located 25 light-years away. The observation of the aftermath of this collision was once thought to be an exoplanet.
M. Kornmesser/ESA/NASA
This is an artist's impression of the interstellar comet 2I/Borisov as it travels through our solar system. New observations detected carbon monixide in the cometary tail as the sun heated the comet.
This is an artist's impression of the interstellar comet 2I/Borisov as it travels through our solar system. New observations detected carbon monixide in the cometary tail as the sun heated the comet.
NRAO/AUI/NSF/S. Dagnello
This rosette pattern is the orbit of a star, called S2, around the supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy.
This rosette pattern is the orbit of a star, called S2, around the supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy.
European Southern Observatory/ESO/L. Calçada
This is an artist's illustration of SN2016aps, which astronomers believe is the brightest supernova ever observed.
This is an artist's illustration of SN2016aps, which astronomers believe is the brightest supernova ever observed.
M. Weiss/Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
This is an artist's illustration of a brown dwarf, or a "failed star" object, and its magnetic field. The brown dwarf's atmosphere and magnetic field rotate at different speeds, which allowed astronomers to determine wind speed on the object.
This is an artist's illustration of a brown dwarf, or a "failed star" object, and its magnetic field. The brown dwarf's atmosphere and magnetic field rotate at different speeds, which allowed astronomers to determine wind speed on the object.
Bill Saxton, NRAO/AUI/NSF
This artist's illustration shows an intermediate-mass black hole tearing into a star.
This artist's illustration shows an intermediate-mass black hole tearing into a star.
M. Kornmesser/ESA/Hubble
This is an artist's impression of a large star known as HD74423 and its much smaller red dwarf companion in a binary star system. The large star appears to pulsate on one side only, and it's being distorted by the gravitational pull of its companion star into a teardrop shape.
This is an artist's impression of a large star known as HD74423 and its much smaller red dwarf companion in a binary star system. The large star appears to pulsate on one side only, and it's being distorted by the gravitational pull of its companion star into a teardrop shape.
Gabriel Pérez Díaz/Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands
This is an artist's impression of two white dwarfs in the process of merging. While astronomers expected that this might cause a supernova, they have found an instance of two white dwarf stars that survived merging.
This is an artist's impression of two white dwarfs in the process of merging. While astronomers expected that this might cause a supernova, they have found an instance of two white dwarf stars that survived merging.
University of Warwick/Mark Garlick
A combination of space and ground-based telescopes have found evidence for the biggest explosion seen in the universe. The explosion was created by a black hole located in the Ophiuchus cluster's central galaxy, which has blasted out jets and carved a large cavity in the surrounding hot gas.
A combination of space and ground-based telescopes have found evidence for the biggest explosion seen in the universe. The explosion was created by a black hole located in the Ophiuchus cluster's central galaxy, which has blasted out jets and carved a large cavity in the surrounding hot gas.
S. Giacintucci, et al./NRL/CXC/NASA
This new ALMA image shows the outcome of a stellar fight: a complex and stunning gas environment surrounding the binary star system HD101584.
This new ALMA image shows the outcome of a stellar fight: a complex and stunning gas environment surrounding the binary star system HD101584.
ESO/NAOJ/NRAO/ALMA
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope captured the Tarantula Nebula in two wavelengths of infrared light. The red represents hot gas, while the blue regions are interstellar dust.
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope captured the Tarantula Nebula in two wavelengths of infrared light. The red represents hot gas, while the blue regions are interstellar dust.
JPL-Caltech/NASA
A white dwarf, left, is pulling material off of a brown dwarf, right, about 3,000 light-years from Earth.
A white dwarf, left, is pulling material off of a brown dwarf, right, about 3,000 light-years from Earth.
NASA/L. Hustak
This image shows the orbits of the six G objects at the center of our galaxy, with the supermassive black hole indicated with a white cross. Stars, gas and dust are in the background.
This image shows the orbits of the six G objects at the center of our galaxy, with the supermassive black hole indicated with a white cross. Stars, gas and dust are in the background.
Anna Ciurlo/Tuan Do/UCLA Galactic Center Group
After stars die, they expel their particles out into space, which form new stars in turn. In one case, stardust became embedded in a meteorite that fell to Earth. This illustration shows that stardust could flow from sources like the Egg Nebula to create the grains recovered from the meteorite, which landed in Australia.
After stars die, they expel their particles out into space, which form new stars in turn. In one case, stardust became embedded in a meteorite that fell to Earth. This illustration shows that stardust could flow from sources like the Egg Nebula to create the grains recovered from the meteorite, which landed in Australia.
NASA/W. Sparks (STScI)/R. Sahai
The former North Star, Alpha Draconis or Thuban, is circled here in an image of the northern sky.
The former North Star, Alpha Draconis or Thuban, is circled here in an image of the northern sky.
NASA
Galaxy UGC 2885, nicknamed the "Godzilla galaxy," may be the largest one in the local universe.
Galaxy UGC 2885, nicknamed the "Godzilla galaxy," may be the largest one in the local universe.
NASA/ESA/B. Holwerda (University of Louisville)
The host galaxy of a newly traced repeating fast radio burst acquired with the 8-meter Gemini-North telescope.
The host galaxy of a newly traced repeating fast radio burst acquired with the 8-meter Gemini-North telescope.
Danielle Futselaar/artsource.nl
Wonders of the universe

Story highlights

Researchers connected over social media to analyze an X-shape at the center of the Milky Way

By confirming the shape, researchers can learn more about how our galaxy formed

CNN  — 

When astronomer Dustin Lang tweeted out some galaxy maps he made using publicly available data from NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) in 2015, he wasn’t expecting for them to lead to a new way of looking at our galaxy, the Milky Way.

He’d been working with the WISE data as part of his work on the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, which performs detailed observations of selected galaxies to map the large-scale structure of the universe.

“I released the results in the hope that they would be useful for other scientific studies,” said Lang, a research associate for the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics at the University of Toronto, who also built an interactive site to help people explore the maps.

He also admits that part of it was “just showing off.

“Scientists on Twitter often share sneak peeks of interesting results or pretty pictures,” said Lang, whose work combines computer science and astronomy.

Frankenstein Galaxy
NASA/JPL/Caltech/SDSS/NRAO

Related article Rare 'Frankenstein' galaxy discovered

Melissa Ness, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany, saw the “zoomed-out, whole-sky view” on Twitter and recognized an X-shaped bulge, or tightly packed group of stars found in spiral galaxies, in the center of the Milky Way.

“It was simply the most fantastic image of the Milky Way bulge that I had seen,” Ness said. “I studied the bulge for my Ph.D. and so was well aware that there are numerous works and data that demonstrate that there is an underlying X-shape in the bulge, and in fact it had been modeled in detail from these prior works, but with that image that Dustin had made, we were clearly seeing this X-shape directly in a real image of the inner region of the galaxy, for the first time.”

Ness emailed Lang immediately to let him know the significance of this shape within his map. They realized they would be at the same conference in Michigan in a couple of weeks and once they met, decided to collaborate on and author a study analyzing the X.

Using email correspondence to combine their different skill sets, Lang supplied the images using WISE data and Ness provided scientific interpretation, Lang said.

WISE took two infrared surveys of the entire sky in 2010, which allowed for better visibility of galaxies and their structures because the infrared light overcomes the usual visible light issue of dust.

milky way grand canyon irpt 2
Sriram Murali/CNN iReport

Related article One-third of the world cannot see the Milky Way -- why that matters

The Milky Way is a rotating barred spiral galaxy full of stars, gas and dust that is 100,000 light-years wide. The bulge is at the center, surrounded by a flat, pancake-shaped disk with spiral arm extensions. It also has a “bar” of stars moving in a box-shaped orbit around the center, according to NASA. If that bar buckles, then the stars would be moving in a perpendicular motion, creating an X-shape of stars orbiting in what looks like either a peanut or box depending on how it forms.

Previous studies already suggested the X-shape of the bulge because they could see a dip in the number of stars in the center of the galaxy comprising the intersection of the two arms of the X, Ness said. Other images from NASA’s Cosmic Background Explorer satellite (COBE) had indicated a box structure for the bulge. Both of these pointed to the collapsed bar, but there was controversy over how it might have formed – as a natural outgrowth of the massive bar that formed from the disk, or from merging with other galaxies.

But the Milky Way hasn’t merged with another large galaxy in billions of years. That would have disrupted the shape, Ness said.

Using the infrared data, Ness and Lang were able to actually see the clearest view of the X-shape yet. What they discovered is that within the bar, the big X-shaped structure is full of crossing stars. It looked like a 3-D football in comparison to the flat disk of the Milky Way.

“This shape implies that the bulge has therefore formed in large part via dynamical instabilities from the disk,” Ness said. “This basically tells us about how the galaxy has formed.”

02 wonders of the universe
From NASA/JPL-Caltech/D.Lang

Ness is continuing to work on studying the Milky Way and the chemical composition and movement of the stars within the bulge to increase our understanding of the galaxy we live in.

This study, and the details of how it came to be, can also inspire future researchers to use social media as a way to connect with their colleagues as well as encourage more publicly available data from surveys, Lang said.

Ness is a proponent of open science because she believes “we are a community all building on each others efforts and that is made possible via distribution of the data products, results and sharing of the scientific exploration.”

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    “I really like the fact that this study happened at all – to me, it’s an example of the interesting, serendipitous science that can happen when people publicly release their data and try to communicate their results to the public and other scientists,” Lang said. “I don’t normally study Milky Way structure, so it was fun to learn how the WISE data could be used to answer a question I didn’t even know existed! This study wouldn’t have happened if the WISE team had not gone to great effort to create a very high-quality public data release.”