A recent planetarium show at the American Museum of Natural History has led to a groundbreaking discovery, unlocking one of the solar system’s secrets about the Oort Cloud, a region far beyond Pluto. The Oort Cloud is filled with icy relics from the solar system’s formation, and scientists had long thought it was shaped like a sphere or flattened shell.
However, experts noticed something strange during a scene featuring the Oort Cloud in the planetarium show: a spiral shape that resembled a bar with two waving arms, similar to the Milky Way galaxy. This unexpected discovery was made by an astrophysicist who leads the museum’s educational programs and helped create the show.
Further research confirmed that the spiral is indeed a unique feature of the Oort Cloud, and scientists are excited about its implications for understanding the outer solar system. While the discovery will be difficult to confirm with observations, it could provide clues about the orbits of distant comets and shed new light on the solar system’s formation.
The museum’s commitment to scientific accuracy created the perfect conditions for this unexpected breakthrough. “You just never know what you’re going to find,” said Carter Emmart, a museum expert. The discovery highlights the importance of ongoing research and collaboration among scientists, as well as the potential for unexpected breakthroughs in unexpected places.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/museum-planetarium-oort-cloud-b0050c65ebff830812b505cdd8c476ec