Our Galaxys Magnetic Field from Planck
Explanation:
What does the magnetic field of our Galaxy look like?
It has long been known that a modest magnetic field pervades our
Milky Way Galaxy because it is seen to align small
dust grains that
scatter background light.
Only recently, however, has the
Earth-orbiting Planck satellite
made a high-resolution map
of this field.
Color coded, the
30-degree wide map confirms, among other things, that the
Galaxy's interstellar magnetism is strongest in the central disk.
The rotation of charged gas around the
Galactic center
creates this magnetism, and it is hypothesized that viewed from the top, the
Milky Way's magnetic field would appear as a spiral swirling out from the center.
What caused many of the details in this and
similar Planck maps -- and how magnetism in general affected our
Galaxy's evolution
-- will likely remain topics of research for years to come.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
