New research suggests the Milky Way galaxy's half-light radius is 19,000 light-years and has a more complex radial structure.

New research in Nature Astronomy by Yunnan University and international institutes suggests the Milky Way galaxy may be larger than previously thought, with a more complex radial structure. Stellar spectroscopic surveys were used to construct a radial density distribution of stars, revealing the Galactic disk structure in the outer region follows a classical exponential distribution, while the inner region is nearly flat. The Milky Way's half-light radius is now estimated at 19,000 light-years, in line with nearby galaxies of similar mass.

July 12, 2024
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