layer88 hours ago
Better, adblocker-friendly article (original press release): https://www.um.edu.mt/newspoint/learn/2026/theedgeofthemilky...
Paper: https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2026/04/aa58144-...
dotancohen9 hours ago
Is this a non-sequiter or just poorly phrased?
> Disk galaxies like the Milky Way form stars “inside-out” — starting from the center and working outwards through the disk. So, as a general rule, the farther out astronomers look, the younger the stars are.
eventualcomp2 hours ago
To use an analogy, to add to everybody else: it's like rings on a tree stump. The innermost part of the stump is the oldest; the outer the youngest. Earth is on one of those in-between rings, neither the oldest nor the newest - doesn't matter which of the in-betweens, to be honest.
Suppose now that you're an ant on the middle ring of that tree stump. No matter which way you're looking from Earth's middle-ring, either the rings will get gradually older and then younger with increasing distance (if you're looking towards the center-ish), or the rings will get strictly younger (if you're looking away from the center-ish).
This analogy obviously breaks down if you delve into details but that should give a better intuition to what's going on.
happytoexplain7 hours ago
I actually am not following what the ambiguity is - stars farther out from the center are younger, no?
kadoban7 hours ago
The Earth isn't the center of the galaxy, so this feels confusing/confused:
> So, as a general rule, the farther out astronomers look, the younger the stars are.
raframan hour ago
The father out from the center of the galaxy they look, the younger the stars are.
jibal36 minutes ago
The location of the Earth is completely irrelevant. "closer" and "farther" refer to the center of the galaxy.
malfist7 hours ago
When does "starting in the center" mean anything besides "starting in the center"?
The earth is not the center of the galaxy
furyofantaresan hour ago
The Earth is where the astronomers are. If they are looking outward (away from the center) then the further they look, the younger the stars.
assimpleaspossi6 hours ago
He didn't say that. He said earth is nearer to the center of a spiral arm.
malfist2 hours ago
What does the center of a spiral arm have to do with the center of the galaxy?
dylan6042 hours ago
the location of earth has precisely zero to do with the topic
_factor9 hours ago
Poorly phrased. The most recent stars are on the edges. The inner stars were first, hence the “working outwards”.
ww5206 hours ago
Looking from Earth at the stars closer to the center of a galaxy, they are found to be older. Looking from Earth at the stars closer to the edge of a galaxy, they are found to be younger.
jibal39 minutes ago
Earth isn't relevant. The stars at the center of the galaxy developed first, and development proceeded from the inside out, so the youngest stars are on the edge ... then they get older from there on out, as the stars beyond the edge broke away from the galaxy. The bottom of the age U is the location of the formative edge.
furyofantaresan hour ago
From Earth (where astronomers are) looking "out"ward (away from the bulge).
[deleted]6 hours agocollapsed
JumpCrisscross7 hours ago
Try: "the farther out [from the center] astronomers look"
colechristensen9 hours ago
It is beyond obvious what they mean.
layer88 hours ago
[dead]
neals9 hours ago
Just the daily post that makes me feel small and insignificant.
dylan6049 hours ago
I prefer that feeling much more than the modern sense from social media where everyone is abnormally important
rambojohnson2 hours ago
Seriously. Being meaningless and insignificant gives you more freedom, and nowhere to hide from what you do with it. I’ve never understood cosmic dread. It feels like a release valve instead of a threat.
yrcyrc8 hours ago
Great. Next Laniakea
onchainintel2 hours ago
Incredible. "Hi honey, what did you do at work today? Casually discovered the edge of the galaxy. How are you?"