The Milky Way galaxy is full of ripples (and larger than you think)
When you picture the Milky Way galaxy, you probably imagine a relatively flat disc. Well, you may have to get that image out of your head -- astrophysicists have determined that the galaxy has at least four "ripples," making it look more like a piece of corrugated cardboard than a gentle circle. Those three-dimensional shapes hint that the Milky Way is not only more complex than previously thought, but about 50 percent larger... and that's assuming there aren't hidden ripples extending the range even further. While there haven't been studies of the whole galaxy yet, the findings suggest that there's a lot left to discover about these gigantic star clusters.
