What is Perseus Arm?
[[Image:Milky Way Arms ssc2008-10.svg|300px|right|thumb|Structure of the Milky Way's spiral arms.]] The '''Perseus Arm''' is one of two major [[spiral arm]]s of the [[Milky Way]] galaxy. The second major arm is called the [[Scutum–Centaurus Arm]].<ref name=Churchwell2009>{{cite journal|title=The Spitzer/GLIMPSE surveys: a new view of the Milky Way|journal=Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific|year=2009|volume=121|issue=877|pages=213–230|doi=10.1086/597811|url=http://www.astro.wisc.edu/sirtf/Churchwell_2009.pdf|bibcode=2009PASP..121..213C|last1=Churchwell|first1=Ed|last2=Babler|first2=Brian L.|last3=Meade|first3=Marilyn R.|last4=Whitney|first4=Barbara A.|last5=Benjamin|first5=Robert|last6=Indebetouw|first6=Remy|last7=Cyganowski|first7=Claudia|last8=Robitaille|first8=Thomas P.|last9=Povich|first9=Matthew|last10=Watson|first10=Christer|last11=Bracker|first11=Steve|s2cid=15529740 |access-date=2013-03-16|archive-date=2013-11-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102094744/http://www.astro.wisc.edu/sirtf/Churchwell_2009.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Milky Way is a [[barred spiral galaxy]] with two major arms and a number of minor arms or spurs.<ref name=Churchwell2009/> The Perseus Spiral Arm, with a [[radius]] of about 10,700 [[parsecs]], is between the minor [[Cygnus Arm|Cygnus]] and [[Carina–Sagittarius Arm]]s.<ref name=Churchwell2009/> It is so named because it is seen in the same direction as the constellation [[Perseus (constellation)|Perseus]]. The local spur known as the [[Orion–Cygnus Arm]], which includes the [[Solar System]] and [[Earth]], may be a branch of the Perseus Arm, but this is unconfirmed.<ref name=Churchwell2009/> The Perseus Spiral arm contains a number of [[Messier objects]]: *The [[Crab Nebula]] (M1) *[[Messier 36]] *[[Messier 37]] *[[Messier 38]] *[[Messier 52]] *[[Messier 103]] It also contains a star 100 times larger than the sun. [[AC130]] == References == {{Reflist}} [[Category:Milky Way]] {{sci-stub}} {{Milky Way}}