NASA's Chandra telescope reveals Milky Way's outer reaches may stretch farther than previously known

A team of astronomers discovered that the spiral arms of the Milky Way galaxy may stretch farther out into space than was previously known.

The scientists made precise distance measurements of dust clouds in the arms using data from two telescopes orbiting high above Earth's atmosphere — NASA's Chandra, the most powerful X-ray telescope ever built, and the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton.

Researchers took advantage of rare, powerful gamma-ray bursts in distant galaxies. As X-rays from those bursts traveled through the Milky Way, some of the light bounced off dust clouds, creating rings that could be measured with unusual precision.

Read Entire Article