Astronomers discover previously unknown component of home galaxy
Q. Which unknown component of the Milky Way has been discovered by a team of astronomers on 29th October 2015?- Published on 30 Oct 15a. Disc of young stars
b. Disc of old stars
c. Set of comets
d. Shower of meteorites
ANSWER: Disc of young stars
Researchers have discovered unknown component of the Milky Way namely a thin disc of young stars in the central area of the galaxy buried beneath thick clouds of dust. Centre of the Milky Way galaxy consists of numerous old stars, but also has young stars. Researchers used data from VISTA telescope at European Southern Observatory’s Paranal Observatory in Chile, between 2010 and 2014. Bulge of the Milky Way contains very young stars of the type called Cepheids. The stars undergo periodic expansion and contraction, taking anywhere from a few days to months to complete the cycle. The 35 classical Cepheids discovered are lower than 100 millions years old. Classical Cepheids provide fresh evidence that newly formed stars are forming in the central region of the Milky Way over the past 100 million years. As it was buried in a thick cloud of dust, this discovery remained untraceable earlier.
