The Milky   Way is often described as an ordinary galaxy but this cosmic modesty might be misplace . Analysis from a new resume suggests that our home in the cosmos might not be as typical as antecedently thought .

The survey , which is issue in theAstrophysical Journal , is ground on theSatellites Around Galactic Analogs ( SAGA ) Survey , which look at what goes on around galaxies similar to the Milky Way . Big galaxies like ours lean to be surrounded by minuscule satellite galaxies and SAGA let out that almost all of these satellites are very active , form unexampled stars . Meanwhile , only a little fraction of the Milky Way ’s ones are doing the same matter . We appear to be a peculiarly quiet system .

" We use the Milky Way and its surroundings to study absolutely everything , ” Dr Marla Geha , from Yale University , said in astatement . “ Hundreds of studies come out every year about dark thing , cosmogony , whiz formation , and extragalactic nebula formation , using the Milky Way as a guide . But it ’s potential that the Milky Way is an outlier . ”

The SAGA survey has so far studied eight extragalactic nebula correspondent to our own , discover and make headway information on 14 new satellites ( another 11 ask more data ) . flux with the 13 antecedently known satellites of these galaxies , there ’s a aggregate of 27 objects , 26 of which are star forming . In comparison , only 40 percent of the Milky Way satellites are actually star forming .

“ Our work puts the Milky Way into a broader context , ” said SAGA investigator Risa Wechsler , an astrophysicist at the Kavli Institute at Stanford University . “ The SAGA Survey will provide a critical new understanding of Galax urceolata formation and of the nature of disconsolate matter . ”

The survey hope to reach 25 whitish Way siblings over the next two years and to have 100 when the survey is land up . All these Galax urceolata are within 130 million unclouded - old age . “ I really want to know the answer to whether the milklike Way is unequalled , or totally normal , ” Geha said . “ By canvas our siblings , we ascertain more about ourselves . ”

Once the SAGA Survey is all over we will not only well understand our galaxy but we might have to retool our cosmic measuring stick if it ’s no longer an adequate representation .