Completely invisible, yet unbelievably influential. 💫 Fun fact: according to research from our Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIATelescope), spiral galaxies like the Milky Way are shaped by magnetic fields! These magnetic fields are invisible to the human eye. However, by combining imagery from NASAHubble, the Nuclear Spectroscopic Array, and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, the magnetic fields become apparent. 🌀 In this image, scientists measured the magnetic fields along the spiral arms of a galaxy called M77. The fields are shown as streamlines that closely follow the circling arms. The magnetic fields align along the entire length of the massive spiral arms — 24,000 light years across — implying that the gravitational forces that created the galaxy’s shape are also compressing its magnetic field. Credit: NASA/SOFIA; NASA/JPL-Caltech/Roma Tre Univ. #Magnetic #NASA #Cosmic #PurpleAesthetic #Science