Mysteries of the Milky Way (July 2004)
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Cover; Mysteries of the Milky Way; by Staff Editor; 1 Page(s)

Table of Contents; Mysteries of the Milky Way; by Staff Editor; 1 Page(s)

How the Milky Way Formed; Mysteries of the Milky Way; by Sidney van den Bergh and James E. Hesser; 5 Page(s)

Its halo and disk suggest that the collapse of a gas cloud, stellar explosions and the capture of galactic fragments may have all played a role (originally published January 1993)

Our Growing, Breathing Galaxy; Mysteries of the Milky Way; by Bart P. Wakker and Philipp Richter; 10 Page(s)

Long assumed to be a relic of the distant past, the Milky Way turns out to be a dynamic, living object (originally published January 2004)

Refuges for Life in a Hostile Universe; Mysteries of the Milky Way; by Guillermo Gonzalez, Donald Brownlee and Peter D. Ward; 8 Page(s)

Only part of our galaxy is fit for advanced life (originally published October 2001)

The Paradox of the Sun's Hot Corona; Mysteries of the Milky Way; by Bhola N. Dwivedi and Kenneth J.H. Phillips; 8 Page(s)

Like a boiling teakettle atop a cold stove, the sun's hot outer layers sit on the relatively cool surface. And now astronomers are figuring out why (originally published in New Light on the Solar System)

The Gas between the Stars; Mysteries of the Milky Way; by Ronald J. Reynolds; 10 Page(s)

Filled with colossal fountains of hot gas and vast bubbles blown by exploding stars, the interstellar medium is far more interesting than scientists once thought (originally published January 2002)

The Secrets of Stardust; Mysteries of the Milky Way; by J. Mayo Greenberg; 5 Page(s)

Tiny grains of dust floating in interstellar space have radically altered the history of our galaxy (originally published December 2000)

Galaxies behind the Milky Way; Mysteries of the Milky Way; by Reneé C. Kraan-Korteweg and Ofer Lahav; 7 Page(s)

Over a fifth of the universe is hidden from view, blocked by dust and stars in the disk of our galaxy. But over the past few years, astronomers have found ways to peek through the murk (originally published October 1998)