Astronomers find the edge of the Milky Way

layer8•about 2 hours ago

Better, adblocker-friendly article (original press release): https://www.um.edu.mt/newspoint/learn/2026/theedgeofthemilky...

Paper: https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2026/04/aa58144-...

dotancohen•about 2 hours ago

Is this a non-sequiter or just poorly phrased?

  > Disk galaxies like the Milky Way form stars “inside-out” — starting from the center and working outwards through the disk. So, as a general rule, the farther out astronomers look, the younger the stars are.

Do they meant looking out from Earth (which is actually nearer to the center of a spiral arm than to either end) or out from the galactic bulge. Either way doesn't make sense.

ww520•7 minutes ago

Looking from Earth at the stars closer to the center of a galaxy, they are found to be older. Looking from Earth at the stars closer to the edge of a galaxy, they are found to be younger.

malfist•about 1 hour ago

When does "starting in the center" mean anything besides "starting in the center"?

The earth is not the center of the galaxy

_factor•about 2 hours ago

Poorly phrased. The most recent stars are on the edges. The inner stars were first, hence the “working outwards”.

happytoexplain•about 1 hour ago

I actually am not following what the ambiguity is - stars farther out from the center are younger, no?

kadoban•34 minutes ago

The Earth isn't the center of the galaxy, so this feels confusing/confused:

> So, as a general rule, the farther out astronomers look, the younger the stars are.

JumpCrisscross•30 minutes ago

Try: "the farther out [from the center] astronomers look"

colechristensen•about 2 hours ago

It is beyond obvious what they mean.

neals•about 3 hours ago

Just the daily post that makes me feel small and insignificant.

dylan604•about 3 hours ago

I prefer that feeling much more than the modern sense from social media where everyone is abnormally important

yrcyrc•about 2 hours ago

Great. Next Laniakea

Astronomers find the edge of the Milky Way

⚡ Community Insights

Discussion (12 Comments)Read Original on HackerNews