The Milky Way galaxy has been popularized as a vast agglomeration of stars shaped like a lens or a discus, or like two very shallow saucers glued together rim to rim. So far as the dense masses of the Milky Way are concerned, this is scientifically correct. But in recent years astronomical research has disclosed, far above and below the disk, a sparse population of stars which cosmically and gravitationally belong to the Milky Way galaxy. Harlow Shapley of Harvard Observatory, famed cosmic map maker, has interested himself in these galactic outriders.
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