Though scientists have long known through observational data that the Milky Way is warped and its edges are flared like a skirt, no one could explain why. Now, astronomers have performed the first calculations that fully explain this phenomenon, with compelling evidence pointing to the Milky Way's envelopment in an off-kilter halo of dark matter.
The Milky Way is often depicted as a flat, spinning disk of dust, gas, and stars. But if you could zoom out and take an edge-on photo, it actually has a distinctive warp -- as if you tried to twist and bend a vinyl LP.
The new calculations were led by Jiwon Jesse Han, a Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences student affiliated with the CfA. Published in, the work includes co-authors Charlie Conroy and Lars Hernquist, both faculty members at the CfA and in the Department of Astronomy. "A tilted dark halo is actually fairly common in simulations, but no one had explored its effect on the Milky Way," Conroy said."It turns out that the tilt is an elegant way to explain both the magnitude and direction of our galaxy's wobbly disk."
Confidence in these findings might lead to better ways to cleverly study the unobservable dark matter that makes up most of the universe. This includes new ways to pick up on kinematic signatures of dark sub-halos, which are miniature dark matter halos zipping around the galaxy.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Samsung may start offering more than five years of updates (not OS updates, though)Sebastian, a veteran of a tech writer with over 15 years of experience in media and marketing, blends his lifelong fascination with writing and technology to provide valuable insights into the realm of mobile devices. Embracing the evolution from PCs to smartphones, he harbors a special appreciation for the Google Pixel line due to their superior camera capabilities. Known for his engaging storytelling style, sprinkled with rich literary and film references, Sebastian critically explores the imp
Read more »
AUD/USD rebounds though Israel-Palestinian tensions remain intactThe AUD/USD pair refreshes intraday high at 0.6380 as investors pare shorts in risk-perceived assets executed due to the Middle East crisis amid belli
Read more »
Dear Abby: My wife wants to get a dog even though I don’t want oneAdvice Columns from Dear Abby, Dear Annie and more
Read more »
Israeli PM: 'Though Israel didn't start this war, Israel will finish it'Benjamin Netanyahu noted that though Israel was 'once defenseless,' that is 'no longer the case.'
Read more »
Supreme Court declines to revisit landmark libel ruling, though Clarence Thomas wants to reconsider the decisionThe Supreme Court declined on Tuesday to revisit the landmark First Amendment decision in New York Times v. Sullivan, rebuffing a request to take another look at decades-old precedent that created …
Read more »
Finding Family History in a Big Bowl of CurryHow one young filmmaker grappled with her grandparents’ past by learning how to make sindhi kadhi, the vegan Pakistani stew.
Read more »