A new study published in the Astrophysical Journal by Sloan Digital Sky and researchers from the New Mexico State University comes with surprising details on the movement of stars within our Milky Way Galaxy. Scientists also created a map that allows viewing the migrations of these stars.
The findings of this new study were surprising for the scientists, since they discovered that a third of Milky Way's stars have changed dramatically their orbit. The map created by the team of researchers provides evidence for the first time about the migration of stars throughout the Milky Way Galaxy. This discovery brings new insights on how stars are formed and how they travel throughout the universe.
According to the lead author of the study, Michael Hayden, astronomy graduate student at the New Mexico State University (NMSU) they found that stars move far away from their birthplaces the same way we do it. Around 30 percent of the Milky Way's stars have travelled far from the place they were born.
Scientists used SDSS Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Explorer (APOGEE) spectrograph to help in building the new map of our galaxy. They observed around 100,000 stars during a period of 4 years. To complete their experiments, NMSU astronomers in the College of Arts and Sciences have been using the 2.5-metre SDSS telescope located in the Sacramento Mountains, at the Apache Point.
Data derived from the atmosphere of each star was analyzed for the Milky Way's map. According to Hayden, the stellar history and origins of a star can be revealed by the chemical compositions of each celestial body. This way, scientists can gather important information about the star's migrations as well. The amount of light emissions of each star was also measured by researchers at various wavelengths.
Co-author of the study, Jon Holtzman, explained that there are constant celestial changes occurring in the Milky Way and stars have heavier elements within their cores. These elements change into a gas when a star dies and could form another generation of stars. Astronomers can use the extent of heavy elements located within each star in order to find the origin of the star, the place where it is born.
