"Unveiling the Violent Past of Milky Way's Stars"

Astronomers are reimagining the formation and growth of the Milky Way by studying its uneven shape and ability to form planets. Using data from the Gaia satellite, astronomers have discovered that the Milky Way is not as neat and calm as previously thought. The galaxy's bulge is peanut-shaped and part of a larger bar, while the galaxy itself is warped. The thick disk is flared and may have formed before the halo. Astronomers are uncertain about the number of spiral arms the galaxy has. The Milky Way's spiral arms, including the Perseus and Norma arms, are more similar to other distant galaxies than previously believed.