Astronomers identify thick disc of older stars in nearby Andromeda galaxy

An international team of astronomers has identified for the first time a thick stellar disc in the Andromeda galaxy, the nearest large spiral galaxy to our own Milky Way.

The discovery of the thick disc, a major result from a five-year investigation, will help astronomers better understand the processes involved in the formation and evolution of large spiral galaxies like ours, according to the team, which includes UCLA research astronomer Michael Rich and colleagues from Europe and Australi [...]

Full story at http://spacefellowship.com/news/art24944/astronomers-identify-thick-disc-of-older-stars-in-nearby-andromeda-galaxy.html