NEW YORK (AP) — Scientists have unlocked one of the solar system’s many secrets from an unexpected source: a planetarium show opening to the public on Monday.
They were fine-tuning a scene featuring what’s known as the Oort Cloud, a region far beyond Pluto filled with icy relics from the solar system’s formation.
Comets can hurtle toward Earth from the cloud, but scientists have never glimpsed its true shape.
One evening while watching the Oort Cloud scene, scientists noticed something strange projected onto the planetarium’s dome.
While putting together the planetarium show, the museum’s experts weren’t expecting a window into the universe’s inner workings.
NEW YORK (AP) — A planetarium show that opens to the public on Monday has revealed one of the solar system’s many secrets, according to scientists.
Last fall, specialists at the American Museum of Natural History worked diligently to prepare “Encounters in the Milky Way,” an exploration of our own galaxy as shaped by the motions of stars and other celestial objects.
The Oort Cloud, a region far beyond Pluto that is home to icy remnants of the solar system’s formation, was the subject of the scene they were perfecting. Though scientists have never seen its actual form, comets can speed toward Earth from the cloud.
While viewing the Oort Cloud scene one evening, scientists noticed an odd object projected onto the dome of the planetarium.
“Why is there a spiral there?” asked astrophysicist Jackie Faherty, who oversees the museum’s educational initiatives and assisted in creating the planetarium show.
Our Milky Way galaxy is shaped like a bar with two waving arms, which is how the inner portion of the Oort Cloud, which was composed of billions of comets, looked.
The Oort Cloud was long believed by scientists to be a sphere or flattened shell that had been distorted by the Milky Way’s and other planets’ pull. A more intricate form might be concealed within, as the planetarium show suggested.
READ MORE: Astronomers say the Milky Way has a lower chance of colliding with the Andromeda galaxy than previously believed.
The researcher who supplied the Oort Cloud data for the exhibit was contacted by the museum and was equally taken aback by the spiral.
According to Southwest Research Institute researcher David Nesvorny, “it’s kind of a freak accident that it actually happened.”.
Earlier this year, the researchers published their findings in The Astrophysical Journal after realizing they had discovered something new.
In an email, Rice University planetary scientist Andre Izidoro, who was not involved in the study, described the spiral as “a striking shift in our understanding of the outer solar system.”.
It will be challenging to verify the discovery with observations because it depends on information about the motion of celestial objects and simulations. However, Izidoro stated that increased knowledge of the orbits of far-off comets might provide scientists with some hints.
The experts at the museum did not anticipate a glimpse into the inner workings of the universe when they were assembling the planetarium show. According to Jon Parker of the museum, the show, which is narrated by actor Pedro Pascal, has a number of striking scenes that might captivate viewers more than the Oort Cloud. One such scene is the continuous merging of the Sagittarius mini galaxy with the Milky Way.
Regardless of how stunning and exquisite the show’s visuals were, the museum was determined to make it scientifically correct. That’s what made it possible to discover something new, according to Carter Emmart of the museum.
Emmart remarked, “You just never know what you’re going to find.”.
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