Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery about the shape of the Oort Cloud, a region in our solar system that holds secrets about its formation. Researchers at the American Museum of Natural History were fine-tuning a scene featuring the Oort Cloud for a new planetarium show when they noticed something unusual projected onto the dome.
The inner section of the Oort Cloud resembled a bar with two waving arms, similar to the Milky Way galaxy. Initially, scientists thought it was shaped like a sphere or flattened shell, but the discovery suggests a more complex shape could exist within.
Lead researcher Jackie Faherty said that the unexpected finding was “kind of a freak accident” that happened during the show’s production. The team published their findings earlier this year in The Astrophysical Journal and believe the spiral is a significant shift in understanding the outer solar system.
The discovery relies on data from celestial object movements and simulations, making it difficult to confirm with observations alone. However, knowing more about distant comets’ orbits could provide clues about the Oort Cloud’s true shape.
While the planetarium show was designed to be scientifically accurate, its creators never expected to stumble upon something new. “You just never know what you’re going to find,” said museum scientist Carter Emmart.
Source: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/accidental-discovery-at-new-york-planetarium-unlocks-secret-into-universes-inner-workings