Hydrogen. Atomic number 1. It is the simplest and lightest element on the periodic table, but don’t be fooled by its humble appearance. With just a single proton and a single electron it is the most abundant element in the universe and has fueled star formation for the past 13 billion years.
Now scientists – including an astrophysicist from West Virginia University – have mapped the key ingredient’s distribution across the Milky Way revealing details about our galaxy that have never been seen before.
The new map is the result of work by a team of scientists from around the world, including D.J. Pisano, associate professor of physics and astronomy in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences. The research was published today in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.
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