Astronomy Picture of the Day

    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

                    Magnetic Streamlines of the Milky Way
            Image Credit: ESA, Planck; Text: Joan Schmelz (USRA)

   Explanation: What role do magnetic fields play in interstellar physics?
   Analyses of observations by ESA's Planck satellite of emission by small
   magnetically-aligned dust grains reveal previously unknown magnetic
   field structures in our Milky Way Galaxy -- as shown by the curvy lines
   in the featured full-sky image. The dark red shows the plane of the
   Milky Way, where the concentration of dust is the highest. The huge
   arches above the plane are likely remnants of past explosive events
   from our Galaxy's core, conceptually similar to magnetic loop-like
   structures seen in our Sun's atmosphere. The curvy streamlines align
   with interstellar filaments of neutral hydrogen gas and provide
   tantalizing evidence that magnetic fields may supplement gravity in not
   only in shaping the interstellar medium, but in forming stars. How
   magnetism affected our Galaxy's evolution will likely remain a topic of
   research for years to come.

                       Tomorrow's picture: open space
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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                             & Michigan Tech. U.

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