Galactic survey reveals a new look for the Milky Way (barred spiral!)

[Bill McBlueState]

Galactic survey reveals a new look for the Milky Way

August 16, 2005

by Terry Devitt

With the help of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, astronomers have conducted the most comprehensive structural analysis of our galaxy and have found tantalizing new evidence that the Milky Way is much different from your ordinary spiral galaxy.

The survey using the orbiting infrared telescope provides the fine details of a long central bar feature that distinguishes the Milky Way from more pedestrian spiral galaxies.

"This is the best evidence ever for this long central bar in our galaxy," says Ed Churchwell, a UW-Madison professor of astronomy and a senior author of a paper describing the new work in an upcoming edition of Astrophysical Journal Letters, a leading astronomy journal.

Using the orbiting infrared telescope, the group of astronomers surveyed some 30 million stars in the plane of the galaxy in an effort to build a detailed portrait of the inner regions of the Milky Way. The task, according to Churchwell, is like trying to describe the boundaries of a forest from a vantage point deep within the woods: "This is hard to do from within the galaxy."

...

continued here
journal article here (pdf)

[Dudley_DUright]

1. This has been speculated about for a long time and it seems

more and more evidence is being uncovered to support the barred spiral model. As the article points out, it would be a lot easier if we could invent warp drive and get a look from outside our own galaxy. Where is Zefram Cochran when you need him? :-)

[Tesha]

14. In some 3rd grade somewhere studying Intelligent Design in "Bushworld" :-(

[SteppingRazor]

2. Do astronomers have some Big Book of Analogies they turn to?

"The task, according to Churchwell, is like trying to describe the boundaries of a forest from a vantage point deep within the woods: "This is hard to do from within the galaxy." "

I swear, you can't read an astronomy story without reading something like this. What's the deal?

[rman]

11. what's the problem?

[SteppingRazor]

19. The problem?

I'm joking. It's just a funny observation. You know -- funny. Ha ha.
Maybe I should have used a smiley face or something, yeah? :)

[silverweb]

3. So what does that mean?

Are we spiraling outward from the center of the galaxy or are the stars in that bar on the final approach to a black hole at the center?

[supernova]

6. Depends on which way the galaxy is spinning

If we're spinning clockwise, then we will eventually work our way to the center of the galaxy. Perhaps there's something to do with the black hole at the center that keeps all of us from falling into it. :shrug:

If we're spinning counter-clockwise, then the galaxy will eventually bust apart.

edit: Yay! Barred spirals are my fave. :D

[silverweb]

9. And we don't know that yet?

I'd have thought they'd have a fix by now on which direction the galaxy is spinning. They must.

Fascinating stuff. I'd really like to be around in an eon or two, just to see how things have developed.... :D

[The Revolution]

20. A black hole is not a vacuum cleaner

This is a a popular myth. The black hole affects stars the same way stars affect planets. Unless you pass the event horizon, it acts just like any other massive body. We're just orbiting it, not falling into it or flying away from it. :)

[Ian David]

4. Thanks. I'm already on the phone ordering an update to my GPS software

Actually, maybe we should see how many people we can encourage to do that...

[On the Road]

5. They're Just Finding This Out Now?

We may be inside the galaxy, but we're well outside the central bar. It can be seen in it's totality, even if it's at an angle. Seems like it's a big enough structure that someone would have picked up on it by now.

[rman]

12. there's a lot of gas and dust in the galaxy that obscures

the view of most of it.

they can't even see the center of the galaxy without state of the art equipment.

then again, maybe you know something they don't.

[On the Road]

15. They've Been Able to See the Stars for Awhile Now

and even able to mask the center of the galaxy enough to look beyond it. It seems like a prety big pattern to miss -- maybe not visually, but I'm surprised no one's done a 3-D model until now.

[rman]

16. Not All Of 'M Though, Thanks To All The Dust

Got any sources about astronomers being able to see stars beyond the galaxy's core?
It is not that long ago when they first started observing what's going on in the area where the core is, although of course they already knew in which direction it is.
I am curious why you are surprised that it is not as easy as you seem to think it is.

[On the Road]

17. About Ten Years Ago,

they were able to see through the center well enough to detect a small spherical galaxy directly on the other side of the Milky Way, almost touching it. That required masking the dust and starlight in the center pretty effectively.

With tens of millions of stars involved, it would seem possible to detect a bar shape at the galactic center even without complete visibilty.

[rman]

18. Yes it is possible -

once you have the right technology, which does take a while to develop.

[jonkronz2003]

7. What an intelligent design...

sarcasm..............

[haktar]

8. Interesting.

While you misread the Article a little bit(The milky way is considered to be a type SBb barred spiral for nearly a decade) it is amazing the bar is 7000 light years longer than previously thought.
Very interesting. thanks for the finding. :yourock:

[soothsayer]

10. Outstanding! I'll meet you at the bar....

[tocqueville]

13. Study Describes Bar at Center of Milky Way

By RYAN J. FOLEY, Associated Press Writer
Tue Aug 16,11:23 PM ET

AP headline is far more witty

[GAspnes]

21. a guy walks into a bar

and walks, and walks, and walks, and walks...