Astronomers detect an old star with a velocity perpendicular to the Sun's 1 kpc from Earth.Of which component is it most likely a part?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Old stars with velocities perpendicular to the Sun's position are more likely to be part of the halo component of our galaxy. The halo contains older stars, which have had more time to gain velocity from gravitational interactions with other objects in the Milky Way. Disk stars, on the other hand, have a more uniform motion in the direction of the galactic plane, while bulge and bar stars have a higher likelihood of being located towards the center of the galaxy.

Astronomers Detect an Old Star with a Velocity Perpendicular to the Sun's