Sep 12, 2013 01:10 PM EDT By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

Astronomers believe they have developed the most accurate three-dimensional map of the Milky Way Galaxy's central area to date, according to a news release.

They found the central core to resemble a peanut or an "X" depending on the angle. The shape was determined and mapped out using data from European Southern Observatory's (ESO) VISTA survey telescope, along with tracked movements of stars in the central region.

The most important part of the galaxy is the massive bulge in its center, which is a cloud containing millions and millions of stars spanning thousands of light years. However, its structure and origin were not known.

The view from Earth, about 27,000 light years away, is heavily obstructed by gas and dust clouds and needed to use longer wavelength light, like infrared radiation, to penetrate the dense clouds and give the astronomers a decent look.

"The depth of the VISTA star catalogue far exceeds previous work and we can detect the entire population of these stars in all but the most highly obscured regions," said Christopher Wegg (MPE), lead author of the first study. "From this star distribution we can then make a three-dimensional map of the galactic bulge.This is the first time that such a map has been made without assuming a model for the bulge's shape."

Ortwin Gerhard, co-author of the first study, said it is a rare and valuable look into what the Milky Way Galaxy was formed around.

"We find that the inner region of our Galaxy has the shape of a peanut in its shell from the side, and of a highly elongated bar from above," said Gerhard, leader of the Dynamics Group at MPE. "It is the first time that we can see this clearly in our own Milky Way, and simulations in our group and by others show that this shape is characteristic of a barred galaxy that started out as a pure disc of stars."

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