In a landmark achievement for galactic research, a team of Chinese and international astronomers has unveiled the first three-dimensional map of interstellar dust properties across the Milky Way. Published as the cover story in Science, the study provides unprecedented insights into the composition and distribution of cosmic dust—a key component of star formation and galactic evolution.
The project, led by Chinese doctoral student Zhang Xiangyu at Germany's Max Planck Institute for Astronomy and advisor Gregory Green, combined data from China's LAMOST telescope and the European Space Agency's Gaia observatory. Their collaborative efforts resulted in a detailed catalog of dust absorption and scattering patterns for over 130 million stars, spanning distances up to 16,308 light-years.
Interstellar dust—composed of heavy elements like carbon and silicon—plays a critical role in dimming and reddening starlight, a phenomenon called 'extinction.' Accurate extinction correction is essential for precise observations of stars and galaxies. 'This 3D map isn't just a visualization tool; it's a fundamental resource for refining astronomical measurements and understanding the Milky Way's material cycle,' explained Zhang.
The integration of LAMOST's precise stellar parameters with Gaia's spectral data marks a leap forward in astrochemistry. Researchers say the findings will support studies on star formation, exoplanet detection, and galactic structure, benefiting both academic and observational astronomy communities.
