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Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Photo: New Milky Way Map Created; Shows Fewer Main Arms


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An artist's rendering based on telescope data offers the best map yet of the Milky Way galaxy, astronomers announced on June 3, 2008.

The new image includes the finding that our galaxy has not four but two major arms—Scutum Centarus and Perseus. Norma and Sagittarius have been demoted to minor arms.

Image courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech