If there are ripples, then it looks like the number of stars in the (presumed flat) disk drops off quickly, and then farther out where the disk ripples back up it looks like a detached ring of stars appears,” Dr. Heidi Newberg, professor of physics, applied physics, and astronomy at Rensselaer Polytechnic University in Troy, NY, told The Huffington Post in an email. “We now understand that the galaxy didn’t end; the disk is just going up and down–in and out of our view.
Dr. Heidi Newberg was kind enough to record a segment for The Academic Minute when she was on hand at WAMC to record an interview.
This upcoming astronomy segment will be the second piece she’s recorded for the program. Way back in 2011, Dr. Newberg spoke about the mystery of the galaxy.
With her hard work, it looks like she is unraveling some of those mysteries. Look for Dr. Newberg’s segment to air in the near future.
