NASA has discovered a mysterious spiral structure at the edge of the Solar System (photo).

The exact shape of the Oort cloud, the mysterious shell of the Solar System composed of icy objects, remains an enigma. However, scientists from NASA have developed a new model suggesting that the internal structure of the Oort cloud resembles a disk of a spiral galaxy and features a pair of enormous spiral arms. This research has been published on the arXiv preprint server, reports Live Science.

Astronomers believe that the inner edge of the Oort cloud is located approximately 2000-5000 astronomical units from the Sun, while the outer edge is at a distance of 10,000 to 100,000 astronomical units. It’s important to note that one astronomical unit is about 150,000,000 km.

Objects within the Oort cloud move very slowly, are relatively small, and reflect very little light. As a result, they cannot be observed directly. Most of the evidence for their existence has been gathered through observations of long-period comets that originate from the Oort cloud.

To determine the appearance of the Oort cloud, scientists utilized data on comet orbits and gravitational forces both within and beyond the Solar System. Using a supercomputer, they were able to create a model of the structure of one section of the mysterious shell of the Solar System.

The model revealed that the inner structure of the Oort cloud, at a distance of 1000 to 10,000 astronomical units from the Sun, resembles the disk of our spiral galaxy, the Milky Way. This means it is a spiral disk with two spiral arms, and the entire structure spans 15,000 astronomical units.

To validate this model, scientists need direct observations of the motion of objects within the Oort cloud to accurately understand how the gravity of various objects in our galaxy affects them. However, achieving this is currently quite challenging.