Alien Perspectives: Exploring the Milky Way from Afar

A recent study in Nature Astronomy aimed to determine what the Milky Way would look like when seen from other galaxies. By analyzing data from the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) survey and other sources, researchers mapped out the chemical spectrum, stellar age, and metallicity throughout the Milky Way. They found a belt of high metallicity around 23,000 light-years from the center, where our Sun is located. Comparing the Milky Way to 321 other face-on galaxies, the study revealed that our galaxy is fairly unusual in having this high-metallicity ring. One possible explanation is a collision with another galaxy triggering a burst of star production.