TED Ed: Why is the Milky Way a Spiral?

TED Ed: Why is the Milky Way a Spiral?

Explore the ever-evolving structure of the Milky Way galaxy, and find out how it got its spiral shape.

2024 · 5 min · Animation

Thirteen billion years ago, the gas and dust particles that eventually became our Milky Way were whizzing around in every direction. Despite the wild motion of its parts, the galaxy as a whole was rotating about an axis. So why did the Milky Way, like most galaxies, become flat, and not spherical like stars and planets?

Directed by Josh O’Caoimh · Written by Scott HERSHBERGER

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Addison Anderson Narrator

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TED Ed: Why is the Milky Way a Spiral?

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