Breakthrough Milky Way Image Exposes Hidden Chemistry At Galaxy's Core

Astronomers have captured the largest and most detailed image of the Milky Way’s core to date, revealing a chaotic web of cosmic filaments at our galaxy's center. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile, a research team mapped the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ), the star formation engine that spans more than 650 light-years.

This massive mosaic (shown above) provides an unprecedented look at the CMZ, home to the Milky Way’s most massive stars. Because the galactic center is shrouded by thick curtains of interstellar dust, radio wave telescopes have been our best bet for peering through this soup. That said, ALMA’s instruments have provided the richest data ever had on the CMZ, even ...