¿ Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2020 June 17 [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available. Magnetic Streamlines of the Milky Way Image Credit: [3]ESA, [4]Planck; Text: [5]Joan Schmelz ([6]USRA) Explanation: What role do magnetic fields play in interstellar physics? Analyses of observations by ESA's [7]Planck satellite of emission by small magnetically-aligned dust grains reveal previously unknown [8]magnetic field structures in our [9]Milky Way Galaxy -- as shown by the curvy lines in the [10]featured full-sky image. The dark red shows the [11]plane of the Milky Way, where the concentration of dust is the highest. The huge arches above the plane are likely remnants of [12]past explosive events from [13]our Galaxy's core, conceptually similar to magnetic [14]loop-like structures seen in our Sun's atmosphere. The curvy streamlines align with [15]interstellar filaments of neutral hydrogen gas and provide tantalizing evidence that magnetic fields may supplement gravity in not only in shaping the [16]interstellar medium, but in forming stars. How [17]magnetism affected our [18]Galaxy's evolution will likely remain a [19]topic of research for years to come. Tomorrow's picture: open space __________________________________________________________________ [20]< | [21]Archive | [22]Submissions | [23]Index | [24]Search | [25]Calendar | [26]RSS | [27]Education | [28]About APOD | [29]Discuss | [30]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [31]Robert Nemiroff ([32]MTU) & [33]Jerry Bonnell ([34]UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman [35]Specific rights apply. [36]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: [37]ASD at [38]NASA / [39]GSFC & [40]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2006/PolarisedMilkyWay_Planck_2048.jpg 3. https://esa.int/ 4. https://sci.esa.int/web/planck 5. https://www.linkedin.com/in/joan-schmelz-96b08383 6. https://www.usra.edu/ 7. https://sci.esa.int/web/planck 8. https://www-istp.gsfc.nasa.gov/Education/Imagnet.html 9. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/resources/285/the-milky-way-galaxy/ 10. https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2015/02/Polarised_emission_from_Milky_Way_dust 11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_plane 12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200223.html 13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180729.html 14. https://www.nasa.gov/content/coronal-loops-in-an-active-region-of-the-sun 15. https://sites.google.com/site/galfahi/Home 16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstellar_medium 17. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94RpbYopUdI 18. https://www.jwst.nasa.gov/content/science/galaxies.html 19. https://i.redd.it/j2upahwnd5bz.jpg 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200616.html 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 24. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss 27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 29. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=200617 30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200618.html 31. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 32. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 33. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 34. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 35. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 36. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 37. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 38. https://www.nasa.gov/ 39. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 40. http://www.mtu.edu/