NASA's Chandra telescope reveals Milky Way's outer reaches may stretch farther than previously known

NASA's Chandra telescope and ESA's XMM-Newton observed gamma-ray bursts to measure dust clouds in the Milky Way's spiral arms, revealing they may extend farther than previously known. The study used geometric analysis of X-ray rings from bursts to determine distances, finding the most distant arm is about 3,500 light-years wide. This method improves precision over assumptions about galactic rotation.