OUR TURBULENT GALAXY.

New star maps, created using data from the Gaia observatory, are providing astronomers with a more detailed understanding of the Milky Way. These maps challenge previous assumptions of stability and order, revealing a turbulent history for the galaxy. Astronomers have discovered streams of stars in the galaxy's halo, indicating past collisions with smaller galaxies, and have identified different populations of stars within the Milky Way, suggesting a transformation from a protogalaxy to a fully formed galaxy. Additionally, data from the Gaia spacecraft has allowed astronomers to map gas clouds and stars in the Milky Way, revealing long, threadlike gas clouds that may serve as birthplaces for new stars, as well as other gas structures that could be related. These findings provide valuable insights into the structure and history of our galaxy. [Extracted from the article]