Spectacular cosmic pinwheel set to blast gamma rays across the Milky Way

Astronomers have named the breathtaking pinwheel Apep, after the Egyptian god of chaos and destruction.  At its centre are two massive, fast-spinning "Wolf-Rayet stars" which appear to be on the point of exploding.  Stars like these are thought to be a source of long gamma ray bursts — a violent blast of radiation never before seen in our galaxy.