The Perseus Arm is one of two major spiral arms of the Milky Way galaxy. The second major arm is called the Scutum–Centaurus Arm. The Perseus Arm begins from the distal end of the long Milky Way central bar.[1] Previously thought to be 13,000 light-years away, it is now thought to lie 6,400 light years from the Solar System.[2]
The Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy with two major arms and a number of minor arms or spurs.[1] The Perseus Spiral Arm, with a radius of approximately 10.7 kiloparsecs, is located between the minor Cygnus and Carina–Sagittarius Arms.[1] It is named after the Perseus constellation in the direction of which it is seen from Earth.
There is speculation that the local spur known as the Orion–Cygnus Arm, which includes the Solar System and Earth and is located inside of the Perseus Arm,[1] is a branch of it, but this is unconfirmed.
The Perseus Spiral arm contains a number of Messier objects:
The Crab Nebula (M1)
Open Cluster M36
Open Cluster M37
Open Cluster M38
Open Cluster M52
Open Cluster M103.
See also
List of Messier objects
References
Churchwell, Ed; Babler, Brian L.; Meade, Marlin A. (2009). "The Spitzer/GLIMPSE Surveys: A New View of the Milky Way" (pdf). Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. 121: 213–230. Bibcode:2009PASP..121..213C. doi:10.1086/597811.
McKee, Maggie (8 December 2005). "Spiral arm of Milky Way looms closer than thought". New Scientist. Reed Business Information Ltd. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
External links
Messier Objects in the Milky Way Galaxy (SEDS)
vte
Milky Way
Location
Milky Way → Milky Way subgroup → Local Group → Local Sheet → Virgo Supercluster → Laniakea Supercluster → Observable universe → Universe
Each arrow (→) may be read as "within" or "part of".
The Milky Way Galaxy
Galactic core
Center of the Milky Way Sagittarius A Sagittarius A* Supermassive black hole
Spiral arms
Carina–Sagittarius Norma–Cygnus Orion–Cygnus Perseus Scutum–Centaurus Near 3 kpc Arm Far 3 kpc Arm
Satellite galaxies
Magellanic Clouds
Large Magellanic Cloud Small Magellanic Cloud Magellanic Stream Magellanic Bridge
Sagittarius Spheroidal
Sagittarius Stream Boötes II Coma Berenices Messier 54 Palomar 12 Segue 1 Segue 2 Terzan 7
Dwarfs
Antlia 2 Boötes I Boötes III Canes Venatici I Canes Venatici II Canis Major Carina Crater 2 Draco Fornax Hercules Leo I Leo II Leo IV Leo V Leo T Phoenix Pisces I Pisces II Sculptor Sextans Triangulum II Ursa Major I Ursa Major II Ursa Minor Virgo I
Other
Gaia Sausage Monoceros Ring Virgo Stream Koposov I Koposov II Segue 3 Willman 1
Related
Alternate names Andromeda–Milky Way collision Baade's Window In mythology Zone of Avoidance
Hellenica World - Scientific Library
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