Milky Way’s Great Rift Identified In 5,000-Year-Old Ancient Egyptian Coffin Drawings. Story by Benjamin Taub • 1h. D epictions of the ancient Egyptian sky goddess found on tombs and coffins ...

An unusual depiction of the ancient Egyptian sky goddess Nut may include a representation of the "Dark River" or "Great Rift"—the band along the Milky Way caused by dust clouds.. This is the ...

A recent study on ancient Egyptian imagery suggests rare drawings of the sky goddess Nut represent the earliest visualization of the Milky Way galaxy's Great Rift.

Grauer was convinced that this line was meant to represent the Great Rift—a visible band of dust and gas that appears to bisect the Milky Way’s vast expanse of diffuse light.

Grauer was convinced that this line was meant to represent the Great Rift—a visible band of dust and gas that appears to bisect the Milky Way’s vast expanse of diffuse light.

This curve, surrounded by stars on both sides, is reminiscent of the Milky Way’s Great Rift. Credit: Mykola Tarasenko / Odessa Archaeological Museum / NASU.

The Milky Way has objects to thrill astronomers of all types, ... In fact, many dark nebulae along the galactic plane become visible under dark skies, including the Great Rift, ...

A ghostly white river is coursing over the continent this month. It isn’t fog, and it isn’t cloud. It’s the packed heart of ...

Milky Way’s Great Rift Identified In 5,000-Year-Old Ancient Egyptian Coffin Drawings The ancient Egyptians may have conceptualized the Milky Way in the same way as Native Americans.