This artistic illustration provided by the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC) shows the interstellar dust in the Milky Way and China's Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST). Chinese and foreign astronomers have unveiled the first three-dimensional (3D) map of the properties of interstellar dust in the Milky Way. This breakthrough will provide critical support for precise astronomical observation, and for studies in the areas of astrochemistry and galactic evolution. (OPENVERSE/NAOC/Handout via Xinhua)

　　BEIJING, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese and foreign astronomers have unveiled the first three-dimensional (3D) map of the properties of interstellar dust in the Milky Way. This breakthrough will provide critical support for precise astronomical observation, and for studies in the areas of astrochemistry and galactic evolution.

　　The research was led by Zhang Xiangyu, a Chinese doctoral student at Germany's Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, in collaboration with his advisor, Dr. Gregory Green. It was based on data from China's Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) and the European Space Agency's Gaia space observatory, and its findings have been published as the cover story of the latest issue of the Science academic journal.

　　The interstellar medium -- the matter and radiation in the space between stars -- is crucial for the Milky Way's material cycle and star formation. Most elements heavier than hydrogen and helium in the interstellar medium exist as solid dust particles. Dust absorbs and scatters starlight, making distant stars appear dimmer and redder in a phenomenon known as “extinction.“ Most astronomical observations require extinction correction, Zhang said.