74 ASTRONOMY • MAY 2018
In the hub
with Hubble
Perched above Earth’s
turbulent atmosphere, the
Hubble Space Telescope
can resolve fine details
in crowded fields. This
view of the Milky Way’s
central bulge could be
Exhibit A. During the past
nine years, scientists have
used Hubble’s unique
capabilities to track
about 10,000 Sun-like
stars in this congested
region. They found that
the younger stars —
those richer in elements
heavier than hydrogen
and helium — orbit the
galaxy’s center faster than
their older cousins. The
researchers suggest that
these youthful interlopers
could be relics of smaller
galaxies that the Milky
Way cannibalized.
NASA/ESA/T. BROWN (STSCI)BREAK
THROUGH