Milky Way New Mapping, Extradordinary
Polish Astronomers Provide Large and Precise 3D Scaled Map Source: University of Warsaw Surprise Finding "Warped and Twisted", Not Flat Astronomers from the University of Warsaw in Poland have created the most precise and largest map of the Milky Way to date. By tracking thousands of stars pulsating in the galaxy, they've created a 3D scale map of the system. They discovered that it isn't as flat as a pancake but twists and turns in shape much more than previously thought by astronomers. Spiral Galaxy The Milky Way is a spiral galaxy measuring 120,000 light years across. It's a mass of stars, gas and dust about 27,000 light years from the Earth. The team found the distortions in the Milky Way are immense with some stars 60,000 light years away from the Milky Way's center. And, the galaxy's thickness is quite variable. Potential Causes The astronomers cited several potential causes for the "warped and twisted"