How a new planetarium show helped scientists unlock a cosmic secret
By ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN NEW YORK AP Scientists have unlocked one of the solar system s multiple secrets from an unexpected source a planetarium show opening to the population on Monday Related Articles Northern lights could be visible again in particular US states after weekend solar storms Milky Way s chance of colliding with galaxy billions of years from now New inquiry puts odds at - Why cats are orange and tortoiseshell and calico Astronomers discover strange new celestial object in our Milky Way galaxy SpaceX launches another Starship rocket after back-to-back explosions but it tumbles out of control At the American Museum of Natural History last fall experts were hard at work preparing Encounters in the Milky Way a deep dive into our home galaxy shaped by the movements of stars and other celestial objects 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 Why is there a spiral there declared the museum s Jackie Faherty The inner section of the Oort Cloud made of billions of comets resembled a bar with two waving arms similar to the shape of our Milky Way galaxy Scientists had long thought the Oort Cloud was shaped like a sphere or flattened shell warped by the push and pull of other planets and the Milky Way itself The planetarium show hinted that a more complex shape could lie inside The museum contacted the researcher who provided the Oort Cloud material for the show who was also surprised to see the spiral It s kind of a freak accident that it in fact happened disclosed David Nesvorny with the Southwest Research Institute Realizing they d stumbled on something new the researchers published their findings earlier this year in The Astrophysical Journal The spiral is a striking shift in our understanding of the outer solar system planetary scientist Andre Izidoro with Rice University who was not involved with the survey announced in an email The discovery relying on input on how celestial objects move and using simulations will be demanding to confirm with observations But knowing more about the orbits of distant comets could give scientists particular clues Izidoro noted While putting together the planetarium show the museum s experts weren t expecting a window into the universe s inner workings The show narrated by actor Pedro Pascal features several vivid scenes that may capture audiences more than the Oort Cloud reported the museum s Jon Parker including an ongoing merge of the Sagittarius mini galaxy with the Milky Way No matter how striking and beautiful the visuals of the show the museum was committed to making it scientifically accurate That s what created the perfect conditions to stumble upon something new announced the museum s Carter Emmart You just never know what you re going to find Emmart announced The Associated Press Strength and Science Department receives encouragement from the Howard Hughes Healthcare Institute s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation The AP is solely responsible for all content
