What should be placed at the center of the Milky Way galaxy on this illustration
In this illustration, the supermassive black hole named Sagittarius A* should be placed at the center of the Milky Way galaxy.
There are stars located in the center bulge of the Milky Way and the spiral arms of the Milky Way. What is the difference between the stars at the center bulge and the stars in the arms
The stars in the center bulge of the Milky Way, also known as the galactic bulge, are typically older, redder, and have a higher concentration compared to the stars found in the spiral arms.
1. Age: The stars in the bulge tend to be older, with ages ranging from several billions to tens of billions of years. In contrast, the stars in the spiral arms are a mix of both young and old stars, but there is a prevalence of younger stars.
2. Color: Stars in the bulge are generally redder in color due to their older age and composition. They have lower metallicity compared to younger stars found in the spiral arms, which means they have fewer elements heavier than helium. The spiral arm stars tend to be bluer in color, indicating a younger age and higher metallicity.
3. Density: The bulge contains a higher concentration of stars, resulting in a denser region compared to the more spread-out distribution of stars in the spiral arms. The gravitational pull in the bulge is stronger due to the higher concentration of mass.
It is important to note that these characteristics are general trends, and there can be variations within each population based on individual star properties and formation histories.