SCIENCE & TECH The giant in our stars

Mary Todd Bergman

January 7, 2020

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/01/largest-gaseous-structure-ever-seen-in-our-galaxy-is-discovered/

This article was about the Radcliffe Wave, discovered by astronomers from Harvard, the largest gaseous structure ever observed in the Milky Way galaxy. The Radcliffe Wave is wave-like and about 9,000 light-years in length and 400 light-years in width cresting 500 light-years above and below the galactic disk. Using the data from the European Space Agency's Gaia spacecraft, astronomers were able to combine measurements of stellar positions, distances, and motion to create a 3D map of interstellar matter in the Milky Way, additionally spotting an unexpected pattern in the spiral arm, which led to the discovery of the Radcliffe Wave.