Dozens of hidden stellar streams found in outskirts of Milky Way

Astronomers have discovered dozens of faint star streams, called 'stellar streams', in the Milky Way's outer regions. The discovery was made using data from the European Space Agency's Gaia mission. Stellar streams are arcing threads of stars that form when compact star clusters travel through the Milky Way's gravitational field, shedding stars that are stretched out into long, trailing ribbons.