In recent years, scientists identified a vast, wave-shaped structure known as the Radcliffe Wave, stretching approximately 9,000 light-years along a spiral arm of the Milky Way, with its closest point just 500 light-years from the Solar System.

While much remains unknown about this star-forming gas formation, a team led by astrophysicist Ralf Konietzka from Harvard University has discovered a crucial aspect: the Radcliffe Wave is not static.

Contrary to a simple orbital motion around the galactic center, the Radcliffe Wave exhibits oscillations as a periodic traveling wave.

The improvement in our understanding of the Milky Way’s three-dimensional properties is attributed to the Gaia project. Gaia, a spacecraft sharing Earth’s orbit, has meticulously mapped the Milky Way, employing parallax to precisely measure stars’ positions in three dimensions.

Furthermore, it measures properties such as proper motion and velocity, providing the most accurate map of the Milky Way to date, Science Alert reported.

Initially discovered in 2018, the Radcliffe Wave’s detailed structure was challenging to discern due to limited information.

However, subsequent releases of additional Gaia data have proved invaluable. Utilizing this data, researchers assigned positions and motions to clusters of infant stars within the Radcliffe Wave.

The findings indicate that the structure undulates like a colossal cosmic serpent traversing the Milky Way.

Notably, calculations suggest that the motion is influenced by the gravitational effects of normal matter in the galaxy, eliminating the need to invoke dark matter to explain it.

Written by B.C. Begley