Other Arm of Milky Wave Located

It appears that we are getting a better confirmation of the nature of out apparent spiral galaxy.

As noted, out present knowledge is speculation.  This work has confirmed the real existence of the other spiral arm that we had not seen yet.

This is neat work and shows us just how much is out there to piece together.

Found - the missing arm of the Milky Way (but it's not a great location for life)

By TED THORNHILL

Last updated at 11:47 AM on 28th October 2011

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2054629/Found--missing-arm-Milky-Way-great-location-life.html

As we all know, when it comes to a good place to live, it’s all about location, location, location.

Unfortunately, it looks like a newly discovered outer arm of the Milky Way may not be the best place to find alien life.

It was discovered by two astronomers from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), but one expert believes that life is more likely to be found lurking towards the galaxy’s centre.

Newly discovered: Our galaxy's extension to Scutum-Centaurus is about 60,000 light years long. Much of the Milky Way is only assumed to exist

The new spiral lies at the end of the Scutum-Centaurus Arm, around 50,000 light years from the centre.

The discovery marks a huge leap forward in our understanding of the Milky Way's shape. It may surprise you, but the beautiful symmetrical spiral shape we see in pictures is actually pure speculation.

Huge amounts of interstellar dust blocks our view of the cosmos, so astronomers have assumed its shape from what we are able to observe – which is roughly half the galaxy.

This changed after Thomas Dame and colleague Patrick Thaddeus pointed their surprisingly modest four-foot telescope on the roof of the CfA in Massachusetts at the Milky Way’s distant rim.

Spaced out: The popular symmetrical image of the Milky Way

They found a new section full of condensed molecular gas measuring about 60,000 light years in length.

It represents a huge piece of the galactic jigsaw.

However, it may not be the best place for life to have evolved.

The University of California’s Virginia Trimble, who studies the evolution of galaxies, believes that metal-rich planets such as Earth, which are ideal for life, are more likely to be found near the centre of the Milky Way.

If life has evolved in the outer reaches, though – it could well be billions of years in advance of our civilisation as the stars there are around twice the age of the Sun.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2054629/Found--missing-arm-Milky-Way-great-location-life.html#ixzz1cNkAPjkq