Utah People's Post

The Latest News from the Beehive State

Thursday, June 30, 2022
Log in
  • National News
    • Female Caseworker Killed & Doctor Shot in Philadelphia
  • State News
    • Car Chase Leads to Drug Arrest
  • Tech & Science
  • Health
    • How to Prepare For Ticks Season
    • Magical Weight Loss Bean Scam
  • Sports
  • Business
You are here: Home / Tech & Science / Astronomers Created The Age Chart of The Milky Way

Astronomers Created The Age Chart of The Milky Way

January 11, 2016 Posted by Gabrielle Stewart

"milky way growth chart"

The Milky Way chart colored by age

With the aid of new methods and existing technology, astronomers created the age chart of the Milky Way, showing the beautifully complex map of our galaxy. It’s the first ever “growth chart” that clearly displays the evolution of stars littered around the galaxy from the youngest to the oldest.

Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy managed to create this cross-representation by using the age of over 70,000 stars over a distance of 50,000 light years away. It’s an exquisite mapping that confirms a popular theory by using familiar methods to the scientific community. Specifically, they found proof of the galaxy’s evolution pattern.

It has been suggested for numerous years that the Milky Way’s oldest stars reside in its center. New stars stretched further away from the  of swirling gas and dust, forming and spreading out to what we have today. According to one author of the study, Melissa Ness, the galaxy “grew up” by “growing out”. The story can clearly be seen unfolding on the map.

The advantage was that, today, we have numerous individual stars known and proper methods to determine their age. For this particular study, the team of astronomers used two methods.

First, they observed data from the APOGEE (Apache Point Observatory Galaxy Evolution Experiment) survey. As stated by the principal investigator, Steve Majewski, the APOGEE was the ideal study as they could make observations upon 300 stars simultaneously. Seeing more at the same time aided in offering a broader perspective, and getting the full spectrum of around 70,000 red giants.

However, the age of the stars cannot be properly determined with the use of the APOGEE study alone. So, secondly, the researchers used data observed by NASA’s Kepler satellite, whose main goal is to find new planets and stars. It provided the missing link, by combining the information given by both techniques. Using the spectra of the APOGEE and the light curves seen by Kepler, they could measure the age of the 70,000 observed stars.

That was done by using the fusion clock inside every star. If they knew its mass, they could determine its age.

What resulted is now a “map for the ages”, as there are many individual stars that can been seen streaked across the map and the Milky Way. The spectacular representation has unprecedented detail. It could help astronomers eventually reconstruct the entire history of our galaxy with each star in part. That means knowing when they formed, where they are, and how they got there.

And, more importantly, to answer questions about the production of numerous elements, planets, and, implicitly, life.

Image source: mpia.de

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Filed Under: Tech & Science

mm

About Gabrielle Stewart

Gabrielle Stewart graduated from Case Western Reserve University’s School of Graduate Studies with a Masters of Arts in Communication Sciences. She’s an avid reader and a lifelong learner. She likes to cover a wide range of news, but she’s particularly keen on Science.

Woman working out at the gym

Just 23% of Americans Are Working Out Enough in Their Spare Time

June 29, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Poliovirus Therapy Gives Brain Cancer Patients New Hope (Study)

June 29, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

United Airlines airplane

Passenger Mysteriously Dies on United Airlines flight Bound for Boston

June 28, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Breakfast sandwich

Here Are Some Foods No Nutritionist Would Ever Eat

June 27, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Poppy flower

UN Warns of Surge in Opium-based Drugs and Cocaine Supply

June 27, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

U.S.-Canada border

French Jogger Detained 2 Weeks for Accidentally Crossing Border

June 26, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Plus size model

Normalizing Plus Size Could Fuel Obesity Crisis (Study)

June 25, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Giant manta ray

Unique Manta Ray Nursery Spotted off Texas Coast

June 23, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

The rainbow flag

WHO Scraps Transgenderism from List of Mental Illnesses

June 22, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

456 People Dead at U.K. Hospital after Taking too Many Painkillers

June 21, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Kenyan girls dancing

Kenyans Facing Poor Nutrition as Supermarket Shopping Is on the Rise

June 20, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Pages

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy GDPR
  • Staff
  • Terms and Conditions

Recent Posts

  • Just 23% of Americans Are Working Out Enough in Their Spare Time
  • Poliovirus Therapy Gives Brain Cancer Patients New Hope (Study)
  • Passenger Mysteriously Dies on United Airlines flight Bound for Boston
  • Here Are Some Foods No Nutritionist Would Ever Eat
  • UN Warns of Surge in Opium-based Drugs and Cocaine Supply
  • French Jogger Detained 2 Weeks for Accidentally Crossing Border
  • Normalizing Plus Size Could Fuel Obesity Crisis (Study)

Related Articles

  • Crosses on a wall

    Religious People Live Longer, Are Less Stressed than Atheists, Study

    Jun 15, 2018
  • Antineutrino Detector

    Scientists Discover an Even More Elusive Particle than Neutrinos

    Jun 5, 2018
  • Funny Albert Einstein

    Time Travel Is Already Here

    May 30, 2018
  • Planet 2003UB313

    Scientists Found Evidence that Elusive Planet 9 May Be Real

    May 18, 2018
  • Kuiper Belt Object

    This Asteroid in Kuiper Belt Is Nothing Scientists Have Seen Before

    May 11, 2018
  • Elephant raising its trunk

    Elephants Communicate with Their Feet, Scientists Confirm

    May 9, 2018
  • Starbucks store

    Black Men Settle for $1 Each after Racist Arrest at Starbucks

    May 3, 2018
  • Tech addiction

    Facebook Pioneers Forming Coalition to Lobby Against Tech Addiction

    Feb 5, 2018
  • Kaspersky Co-founder Natalia Kasperskaya

    Kaspersky Boss: Bitcoin Was Created by U.S. Govt to Fund CIA’s Black Ops

    Feb 1, 2018
  • Amazon Go shopper

    Amazon Gets Rid of Cashiers at Its Check-Out Free Store

    Jan 30, 2018

Categories

  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Health
  • National News
  • Nature
  • Provo
  • Salt Lake News
  • Science
  • Sports
  • State News
  • Tech & Science
  • Technology
  • Uncategorized
  • West Jordan
  • West Valley City
  • World

Copyright © 2022 utahpeoplespost.com

About · Privacy Policy · Terms of Use · Site Map · Contact