NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (SSC/Caltech)
While the bulk of the Milky Way spins in an unmistakable spiral, wispy trails of stars find their own orbit around the galaxy’s center.
Billions of years ago, they were organized in globular clusters that held some of the first materials that formed the Milky Way.
International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/J. da Silva/Spaceengine
On January 5, a team of international researchers announced the discovery of a new star stream: C-19.
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Metals — in astronomical terms, elements heavier than helium — were essential for forming stars, planets, and other bodies within the early galaxy.