A New Discovery Changes Everything Scientists Thought They Knew About Our Galaxy

Scientists are changing the shape of the galaxy. Or at least their understanding of it. According to a report by Space.com, a team of researchers used data from cutting-edge telescopes and other tools to map the shape of the Milky Way, arriving at the theory that it is a two-armed spiral as opposed to the earlier belief that it had four arms.

The recent study has determined that any given galaxy is likely either elliptical, irregular, or spiral-shaped. Spiral galaxies are the most common, typically with two main arms that branch from the center and separate into smaller arms.
It has long been believed that the Milky Way is an odd exception to this common shape. Scientists previously theorized that our galaxy was a spiral with four main arms that extend from a cluster of stars at the center.
A New Discovery Changes Everything Scientists Thought They Knew About Our Galaxy