Unveiling the Turbulent History of the Milky Way through its Stars

Astronomers are using individual stars to map the structures and history of the Milky Way. The first major effort to study the galaxy's formation began in the 1960s, but new data from the Gaia satellite has revealed surprising findings. The Milky Way's bulge is peanut-shaped and part of a larger bar, the galaxy itself is warped, and the thick disk is flared. The number of spiral arms and the overall structure of the galaxy are still being debated. This new understanding challenges the traditional view of the Milky Way as a simple and well-ordered galaxy.