Astronomers have taken a close-up image of a rare and mysterious space object, rekindling interest in learning more about it.

ORCs (odd radio circles) are massive rings of radio waves.

Only five have ever been seen, and they were never seen in such detail.&nbsp;

The first ORCs were discovered using the Australian SKA Pathfinder Telescope two years ago.

These circles are huge, spanning a million light-years in diameter.

That's 16 times the size of our own Milky Way galaxy.

According to astronomers, it takes 1 billion years for these circles to reach their maximum size.

Multiple ORCs have become so enormous that they have passed across many galaxies.

According to discoveries published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, a new image acquired by the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory's MeerKAT telescope shows ORCs in more detail.&nbsp;

The ORC's huge outer circle is possibly more than a million light years across, 10 times the diameter of the Milky Way, with a succession of smaller rings inside, according to new MeerKAT radio data.

Bärbel Koribalski, a radio astronomer at Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation in Sydney, compares it to a Fabergé egg or a soap bubble.&nbsp;

Three theories have been offered to explain the origin of ORCs.

The first is that they are formed by a shock wave from the galaxy's centre, similar to what occurs when two supermassive black holes collide.

The ORC's shape is created, according to the second theory, by the actions of an active galactic nucleus, with radio jets spewing particles.

ORCs, according to the third theory, are shells formed by starbursts at the centre of their galaxies.

(With inputs from agencies)

Astronomers have taken a close-up image of a rare and mysterious space object, rekindling interest in learning more about it. ORCs (odd radio circles) are massive rings of radio waves.

Astronomers have taken a close-up image of a rare and mysterious space object, rekindling interest in learning more about it. ORCs (odd radio circles) are massive rings of radio waves. Only five have ever been seen, and they were never seen in such detail. The first ORCs were discovered using the Australian SKA Pathfinder Telescope two years ago. These circles are huge, spanning a million light-years in diameter. That's 16 times the size of our own Milky Way galaxy. According to astronomers, it takes 1 billion years for these circles to reach their maximum size. Multiple ORCs have become so enormous that they have passed across many galaxies. According to discoveries published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, a new image acquired by the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory's MeerKAT telescope shows ORCs in more detail. The ORC's huge outer circle is possibly more than a million light years across, 10 times the diameter of the Milky Way, with a succession of smaller rings inside, according to new MeerKAT radio data. Bärbel Koribalski, a radio astronomer at Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation in Sydney, compares it to a Fabergé egg or a soap bubble. Three theories have been offered to explain the origin of ORCs. The first is that they are formed by a shock wave from the galaxy's centre, similar to what occurs when two supermassive black holes collide. The ORC's shape is created, according to the second theory, by the actions of an active galactic nucleus, with radio jets spewing particles. ORCs, according to the third theory, are shells formed by starbursts at the centre of their galaxies. (With inputs from agencies)

Bigger than milky way: Images show details of mysterious deep space radio rings

Scientists believe that a mysterious signal coming from our galaxy could be one of the rarest known objects.

The paper, uploaded to preprint server arXiv, discusses GLEAM-X J16279.5-523504.3 as a White Dwarf Pulsar.

The Milky Way began to form relatively soon after the Big Bang explosion that marked the beginning of the universe some 13.8 billion years ago.

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The sun, located roughly 26,000 light-years from the supermassive black hole residing at the centre of the galaxy, formed about 4.5 billion years ago.

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According to a paper by astrophysicist Jonathan Katz of Washington University at St. Louis, "Since the early days of pulsar astronomy there has been speculation that a rotating magnetic white dwarf might show pulsar-like activity."

"The recently discovered periodic radio transient GLEAM-X J162759.5−523504.3 is a candidate for the first true white dwarf pulsar. It has a period of 18.18 minutes (1091 s) and its pulses show low frequency (72–215 MHz) emission with a brightness temperature ∼ 1016 K implying coherent emission. It has no binary companion with which to interact. It thus meets the criteria of a classical pulsar, although its period is hundreds of times longer than any of theirs."

The low-frequency radio source GLEAM-X J162759.5−523504.3 emits pulsed coherent polarised emission like that of radio pulsars.&nbsp;

Yet its period of 18.18 min is hundreds of times longer than those of confirmed radio pulsars, and if it is a neutron star its mean radiated power exceeds the upper limit on its spin-down power by more than an order of magnitude.&nbsp;

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This may be explained if it is a white dwarf pulsar, with a moment of inertia several orders of magnitude greater than those of neutron stars. The Lorentz factor of the emitting charge bunches may be bounded from below by the widths of the temporal substructure of their radiation.&nbsp;

If the emission is curvature radiation, the radius of curvature may be estimated from the Lorentz factor and the frequencies of emission; it is consistent with a white dwarf's inner magnetosphere but not a neutron star's.

"Nobody expected to directly detect one like this because we didn't expect them to be so bright," astrophysicist Natasha Hurley-Walker of the Curtin University node of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) in Australia explained at the time.&nbsp;

"Somehow it's converting magnetic energy to radio waves much more effectively than anything we've seen before."

"If it were bright enough, optical observations could also determine its magnetic field, spectroscopically or polarimetrically," Katz explained.

"The fast-rotating, strongly magnetised, white dwarves would be promising targets for low frequency radio observations to determine if any of them are white dwarf pulsars."

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Scientists believe that a mysterious signal coming from our galaxy could be one of the rarest known objects. The paper, uploaded to preprint server arXiv, discusses GLEAM-X J16279.

Scientists believe that a mysterious signal coming from our galaxy could be one of the rarest known objects. The paper, uploaded to preprint server arXiv, discusses GLEAM-X J16279.5-523504.3 as a White Dwarf Pulsar. The Milky Way began to form relatively soon after the Big Bang explosion that marked the beginning of the universe some 13.8 billion years ago. Also Read | A galaxy with split personality? Here's what we mean by this The sun, located roughly 26,000 light-years from the supermassive black hole residing at the centre of the galaxy, formed about 4.5 billion years ago. Also read | Physicists believe they have cracked Stephen Hawking’s black hole information paradox According to a paper by astrophysicist Jonathan Katz of Washington University at St. Louis, "Since the early days of pulsar astronomy there has been speculation that a rotating magnetic white dwarf might show pulsar-like activity." "The recently discovered periodic radio transient GLEAM-X J162759.5−523504.3 is a candidate for the first true white dwarf pulsar. It has a period of 18.18 minutes (1091 s) and its pulses show low frequency (72–215 MHz) emission with a brightness temperature ∼ 1016 K implying coherent emission. It has no binary companion with which to interact. It thus meets the criteria of a classical pulsar, although its period is hundreds of times longer than any of theirs." The low-frequency radio source GLEAM-X J162759.5−523504.3 emits pulsed coherent polarised emission like that of radio pulsars. Yet its period of 18.18 min is hundreds of times longer than those of confirmed radio pulsars, and if it is a neutron star its mean radiated power exceeds the upper limit on its spin-down power by more than an order of magnitude. Also see | Why has space business has become the final profitable frontier? This may be explained if it is a white dwarf pulsar, with a moment of inertia several orders of magnitude greater than those of neutron stars. The Lorentz factor of the emitting charge bunches may be bounded from below by the widths of the temporal substructure of their radiation. If the emission is curvature radiation, the radius of curvature may be estimated from the Lorentz factor and the frequencies of emission; it is consistent with a white dwarf's inner magnetosphere but not a neutron star's. "Nobody expected to directly detect one like this because we didn't expect them to be so bright," astrophysicist Natasha Hurley-Walker of the Curtin University node of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) in Australia explained at the time. "Somehow it's converting magnetic energy to radio waves much more effectively than anything we've seen before." "If it were bright enough, optical observations could also determine its magnetic field, spectroscopically or polarimetrically," Katz explained. "The fast-rotating, strongly magnetised, white dwarves would be promising targets for low frequency radio observations to determine if any of them are white dwarf pulsars." (With inputs from agencies)

Mysterious signal coming from Milky Way galaxy could be one of the rarest known objects

We normally associate bubbles with water (or with soap, we know you do!). But bubbles in space? That's a bit of a bouncer for most of us. How can a bubble form in space when there is no air? It seems illogical.

But scientists are trying to explain bubbles originating from our Milky Way Galaxy. These bubbles are bigger than your bathroom. Bigger than Earth for that matter and are originating due to jets of energy emanating from the centre of the galaxy

These bubbles are being formed due to powerful jets originating from a supermassive black hole that is at the centre of our galaxy.

To put things in perspective, the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy is 4 million times more massive than the Sun. It literally holds the entire galaxy together with its gravity.

There are two bubbles of very hot gas emanating form the centre of our galaxy. Black holes gobble up material to the extent that even light cannot escape from it. At the same time, black holes spew out powerful jets of material nearly at the speed of light.

The study about the bubbles says that jets that caused them to formed started spewing out material 2.6 million years ago.

The bubbles are really huge in size. They are 36,000 light-years tall. Study about these bubbles has been carried out by scientists including those from University of Michigan.

Astronomer Mateusz Ruszkowski, a co-author of the study, said, “There are two competing models that explain these bubbles, called Fermi and eRosita bubbles after the telescopes that named them. The first suggests that the outflow is driven by a nuclear starburst, in which a star explodes in a supernova and expels material. The second model, which the team’s findings support, suggests that these outflows are driven by energy thrown out from a supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy.”

Hw was quoted by Tech Explorist. The study has been published in journal Nature Astronomy.

We normally associate bubbles with water (or with soap, we know you do!). But bubbles in space? That's a bit of a bouncer for most of us. How can a bubble form in space when there is no air?

We normally associate bubbles with water (or with soap, we know you do!). But bubbles in space? That's a bit of a bouncer for most of us. How can a bubble form in space when there is no air? It seems illogical. But scientists are trying to explain bubbles originating from our Milky Way Galaxy. These bubbles are bigger than your bathroom. Bigger than Earth for that matter and are originating due to jets of energy emanating from the centre of the galaxy These bubbles are being formed due to powerful jets originating from a supermassive black hole that is at the centre of our galaxy. To put things in perspective, the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy is 4 million times more massive than the Sun. It literally holds the entire galaxy together with its gravity. There are two bubbles of very hot gas emanating form the centre of our galaxy. Black holes gobble up material to the extent that even light cannot escape from it. At the same time, black holes spew out powerful jets of material nearly at the speed of light. The study about the bubbles says that jets that caused them to formed started spewing out material 2.6 million years ago. The bubbles are really huge in size. They are 36,000 light-years tall. Study about these bubbles has been carried out by scientists including those from University of Michigan. Astronomer Mateusz Ruszkowski, a co-author of the study, said, “There are two competing models that explain these bubbles, called Fermi and eRosita bubbles after the telescopes that named them. The first suggests that the outflow is driven by a nuclear starburst, in which a star explodes in a supernova and expels material. The second model, which the team’s findings support, suggests that these outflows are driven by energy thrown out from a supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy.” Hw was quoted by Tech Explorist. The study has been published in journal Nature Astronomy.

Powerful jets from black hole have formed bubbles at centre of Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies are huge. Really huge. Our Milky Way galaxy is so huge that it would take light (at 300,000 kilometres per second) would take 100,000 years to travel from one end of the galaxy to the other.

If you thought that was huge, wait till you imagine galaxy clusters. These are groups of galaxies and they often collide with each other. The shockwaves such collisions would generate would be quite massive. But exactly how massive?

Sample this, a shockwave of such a collision that took place billions of years ago is measuring 6.5 million light-years across! This means that this shockwave is many many times larger than entire Milky Way Galaxy!

The shockwave is travelling through space at speed of 1,500 kilometers per second (930 miles per second). The particular galaxy cluster that caused the shockwave is called Abell 3667. At least 550 galaxies are associated with it.

This shockwave is visible in radio wavelength. It has been observed by a team of astronomers using MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa.

"These structures are full of surprises and much more complex than what we initially thought," says astronomer Francesco de Gasperin of the University of Hamburg. He was quoted by South African Radio Astronomy Observatory.

Galaxies are huge. Really huge. Our Milky Way galaxy is so huge that it would take light (at 300,000 kilometres per second) would take 100,000 years to travel from one end of the galaxy to the other.

Galaxies are huge. Really huge. Our Milky Way galaxy is so huge that it would take light (at 300,000 kilometres per second) would take 100,000 years to travel from one end of the galaxy to the other. If you thought that was huge, wait till you imagine galaxy clusters. These are groups of galaxies and they often collide with each other. The shockwaves such collisions would generate would be quite massive. But exactly how massive? Sample this, a shockwave of such a collision that took place billions of years ago is measuring 6.5 million light-years across! This means that this shockwave is many many times larger than entire Milky Way Galaxy! The shockwave is travelling through space at speed of 1,500 kilometers per second (930 miles per second). The particular galaxy cluster that caused the shockwave is called Abell 3667. At least 550 galaxies are associated with it. This shockwave is visible in radio wavelength. It has been observed by a team of astronomers using MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa. "These structures are full of surprises and much more complex than what we initially thought," says astronomer Francesco de Gasperin of the University of Hamburg. He was quoted by South African Radio Astronomy Observatory.

Superhuge shockwave bigger than Milky Way galaxy is travelling through space

Astronomers have charted the Milky Way's dramatic history in a new map.

The study, published in 'The Astrophysical Journal,' was led by Khyati Malhan of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany.

The Milky Way began to form relatively soon after the Big Bang explosion that marked the beginning of the universe some 13.8 billion years ago.&nbsp;

The sun, located roughly 26,000 light years from the supermassive black hole residing at the centre of the galaxy, formed about 4.5 billion years ago.

"The dynamical atlas of the Milky Way mergers that we present here provides a global view of the galaxy formation in action," the researchers write in their paper.

"Thus, our study contributes to the initial steps of unraveling the full hierarchical build-up of our galaxy, and also understanding the origin of the globular clusters and stellar streams of the Milky Way halo."&nbsp;

"With such a wealth of information, we will be able to explore the 'temporal' aspect of galactic archeology by building an understanding of the 'chronological' merging history of the Milky Way."

The researchers have unveiled a three-dimensional map of the Milky Way - home to more than 100 billion stars including our sun - providing a comprehensive chart of its structure: a stellar disk comprised of four major spiral arms and a bar-shaped core region.

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Until now, the understanding of the galaxy’s shape had been based upon indirect measurements of celestial landmarks within the Milky Way and inferences from structures observed in other galaxies populating the universe. The new map was formulated using precise measurements of the distance from the sun to 2,400 stars called “Cepheid variables” scattered throughout the galaxy.

“Cepheids are ideal to study the Milky Way for several reasons,” added University of Warsaw astronomer and study co-author Dorota Skowron. “Cepheid variables are bright supergiant stars and they are 100 to 10,000 times more luminous than the sun, so we can detect them on the outskirts of our galaxy. They are relatively young - younger than 400 million years - so we can find them near their birthplaces.”

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The astronomers tracked the Cepheids using the Warsaw Telescope located in the Chilean Andes. These stars pulsate at regular intervals and can be seen through the galaxy’s immense clouds of interstellar dust that can make dimmer stellar bodies hard to spot.

The map showed that the galaxy’s disk, far from flat, is significantly warped and varies in thickness from place to place, with increasing thickness measured further from the galactic center. The disk boasts a diameter of about 140,00 light years. Each light year is about 6 trillion miles (9 trillion km).

(With inputs from agencies)

Astronomers have charted the Milky Way's dramatic history in a new map. The study, published in 'The Astrophysical Journal,' was led by Khyati Malhan of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany.

Astronomers have charted the Milky Way's dramatic history in a new map. The study, published in 'The Astrophysical Journal,' was led by Khyati Malhan of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany. The Milky Way began to form relatively soon after the Big Bang explosion that marked the beginning of the universe some 13.8 billion years ago. The sun, located roughly 26,000 light years from the supermassive black hole residing at the centre of the galaxy, formed about 4.5 billion years ago. "The dynamical atlas of the Milky Way mergers that we present here provides a global view of the galaxy formation in action," the researchers write in their paper. "Thus, our study contributes to the initial steps of unraveling the full hierarchical build-up of our galaxy, and also understanding the origin of the globular clusters and stellar streams of the Milky Way halo." "With such a wealth of information, we will be able to explore the 'temporal' aspect of galactic archeology by building an understanding of the 'chronological' merging history of the Milky Way." The researchers have unveiled a three-dimensional map of the Milky Way - home to more than 100 billion stars including our sun - providing a comprehensive chart of its structure: a stellar disk comprised of four major spiral arms and a bar-shaped core region. Also see | Why has space business has become the final profitable frontier? Until now, the understanding of the galaxy’s shape had been based upon indirect measurements of celestial landmarks within the Milky Way and inferences from structures observed in other galaxies populating the universe. The new map was formulated using precise measurements of the distance from the sun to 2,400 stars called “Cepheid variables” scattered throughout the galaxy. “Cepheids are ideal to study the Milky Way for several reasons,” added University of Warsaw astronomer and study co-author Dorota Skowron. “Cepheid variables are bright supergiant stars and they are 100 to 10,000 times more luminous than the sun, so we can detect them on the outskirts of our galaxy. They are relatively young - younger than 400 million years - so we can find them near their birthplaces.” Also read | It's a Chinese rocket, not one from SpaceX that will crash on Moon, says astronomer The astronomers tracked the Cepheids using the Warsaw Telescope located in the Chilean Andes. These stars pulsate at regular intervals and can be seen through the galaxy’s immense clouds of interstellar dust that can make dimmer stellar bodies hard to spot. The map showed that the galaxy’s disk, far from flat, is significantly warped and varies in thickness from place to place, with increasing thickness measured further from the galactic center. The disk boasts a diameter of about 140,00 light years. Each light year is about 6 trillion miles (9 trillion km). (With inputs from agencies)

Astronomers chart Milky Way's dramatic history in new map

Astronomers have identified the first-ever wandering black hole in the Milky Way galaxy as per a new study.

"We report the first unambiguous detection and mass measurement of an isolated stellar-mass black hole," wrote a team of astronomers led by Kailash Sahu of the Space Telescope Science Institute.

Moving at a speed of 45 kilometers (28 miles) per second, the black hole is 5,200 light-years away. It received a modest natal 'kick' from its supernova explosion.

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The researchers used Hubble Space Telescope (HST) to carry out precise astrometry of the source star of the event MOA-2011-BLG191/OGLE-2011-BLG-0462, in the direction of the Galactic bulge.

The remarkable event lasted around 270 days and was also unusual as it had high magnification.

The study, submitted to The Astrophysical Journal, is available on the pre-print server arXiv.

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Black holes are extremely dense, with gravitational pulls so ferocious, not even light escapes.&nbsp;

"We show that the lens emits no detectable light, which, along with having a mass higher than is possible for a white dwarf or neutron star, confirms its black hole nature," Sahu said.

There are three categories of black holes. The smallest, like 'the Unicorn,' are so-called stellar mass black holes formed by the gravitational collapse of a single star. There are gargantuan 'supermassive' black holes like the one at our galaxy's center, 26,000 light years from Earth, which is four million times the sun's mass. A few intermediate-mass black holes also have been found with masses somewhere in between.

Cygnus X-1 is the Milky Way’s largest-known stellar-mass black hole and among the strongest X-ray sources seen from Earth, said astronomer James Miller-Jones of Curtin University and the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research.

This black hole spins so rapidly, nearly light speed, that it approaches the maximum rate envisioned under physicist Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity, Miller-Jones added.

It devours material blowing from the surface of the companion star it tightly orbits, a “blue supergiant” about 40 times our sun’s mass. It started its existence 4 million to 5 million years ago as a star up to 75 times the sun’s mass and collapsed into a black hole a few tens of thousands of years ago.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Astronomers have identified the first-ever wandering black hole in the Milky Way galaxy as per a new study. "We report the first unambiguous detection and mass measurement of an isolated stellar-mass black hole," wrote a team of astronomers led by Kailash Sahu of the Space Telescope Science Institute.

Astronomers have identified the first-ever wandering black hole in the Milky Way galaxy as per a new study. "We report the first unambiguous detection and mass measurement of an isolated stellar-mass black hole," wrote a team of astronomers led by Kailash Sahu of the Space Telescope Science Institute. Moving at a speed of 45 kilometers (28 miles) per second, the black hole is 5,200 light-years away. It received a modest natal 'kick' from its supernova explosion. Also read | Russia-Ukraine crisis deterring aliens from making their presence known, says UFO specialist The researchers used Hubble Space Telescope (HST) to carry out precise astrometry of the source star of the event MOA-2011-BLG191/OGLE-2011-BLG-0462, in the direction of the Galactic bulge. The remarkable event lasted around 270 days and was also unusual as it had high magnification. The study, submitted to The Astrophysical Journal, is available on the pre-print server arXiv. Also read | Scientists identify interesting similarity between this exoplanet and Earth Black holes are extremely dense, with gravitational pulls so ferocious, not even light escapes. "We show that the lens emits no detectable light, which, along with having a mass higher than is possible for a white dwarf or neutron star, confirms its black hole nature," Sahu said. There are three categories of black holes. The smallest, like 'the Unicorn,' are so-called stellar mass black holes formed by the gravitational collapse of a single star. There are gargantuan 'supermassive' black holes like the one at our galaxy's center, 26,000 light years from Earth, which is four million times the sun's mass. A few intermediate-mass black holes also have been found with masses somewhere in between. Cygnus X-1 is the Milky Way’s largest-known stellar-mass black hole and among the strongest X-ray sources seen from Earth, said astronomer James Miller-Jones of Curtin University and the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research. This black hole spins so rapidly, nearly light speed, that it approaches the maximum rate envisioned under physicist Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity, Miller-Jones added. It devours material blowing from the surface of the companion star it tightly orbits, a “blue supergiant” about 40 times our sun’s mass. It started its existence 4 million to 5 million years ago as a star up to 75 times the sun’s mass and collapsed into a black hole a few tens of thousands of years ago. (With inputs from agencies)

Scientists identify first-ever wandering black hole in Milky Way galaxy

Scientists have found hundreds of mysterious strands at the heart of the Milky Way galaxy. They were captured by a MeerKAT telescope image by the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO).

The Milky Way began to form relatively soon after the Big Bang explosion that marked the beginning of the universe some 13.8 billion years ago.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-light-spotted-from-behind-a-black-hole-401585/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

“I’ve spent a lot of time looking at this image in the process of working on it, and I never get tired of it,” says Dr. Ian Heywood from the University of Oxford, Rhodes University, and SARAO, and lead author of the study.&nbsp;

“When I show this image to people who might be new to radio astronomy, or otherwise unfamiliar with it, I always try to emphasise that radio imaging hasn’t always been this way, and what a leap forward MeerKAT really is in terms of its capabilities. It’s been a true privilege to work over the years with colleagues from SARAO who built this fantastic telescope.”

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The latest image reveals new supernova remnants, the expanding shells of material left behind when massive stars end their lives explosively, including a rare almost-perfect spherical example, and provides astronomers with the best insight yet into the population of mysterious ‘radio filaments’ found nowhere else.

The highly-linear features pervading the image are radio-emitting magnetised threads. Up to 100 light-years long, these unique structures have defied a conclusive explanation for their origin since discovery over 35 years ago.&nbsp;

MeerKAT has discovered many more such filaments than were previously known, and the new data release will allow astronomers to study these objects as a population for the first time.&nbsp;

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“The best telescopes expand our horizons in unexpected ways,” says Dr Fernando Camilo, SARAO chief scientist.&nbsp;

“It’s a testament to the skill and dedication of our South African colleagues who built MeerKAT that it’s making such remarkable discoveries in one of the most intensively studied corners of the radio sky. The image we’re sharing today is rich with scientific potential, and we very much look forward to further surprises as the astronomical community mines these data for years to come.”

The findings by the international team of astronomers have been published in 'The Astrophysical Journal.'

The Milky Way, spiral-shaped with a central bar-like structure composed of stars, includes 100 to 400 billion stars, including the sun, which formed roughly 4.5 billion years ago.

(With inputs from agencies)

Scientists have found hundreds of mysterious strands at the heart of the Milky Way galaxy. They were captured by a MeerKAT telescope image by the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO).

Scientists have found hundreds of mysterious strands at the heart of the Milky Way galaxy. They were captured by a MeerKAT telescope image by the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO). The Milky Way began to form relatively soon after the Big Bang explosion that marked the beginning of the universe some 13.8 billion years ago. “I’ve spent a lot of time looking at this image in the process of working on it, and I never get tired of it,” says Dr. Ian Heywood from the University of Oxford, Rhodes University, and SARAO, and lead author of the study. “When I show this image to people who might be new to radio astronomy, or otherwise unfamiliar with it, I always try to emphasise that radio imaging hasn’t always been this way, and what a leap forward MeerKAT really is in terms of its capabilities. It’s been a true privilege to work over the years with colleagues from SARAO who built this fantastic telescope.” Also read | Astronomers discover Milky Way galaxy's smallest black hole dubbed 'Unicorn' The latest image reveals new supernova remnants, the expanding shells of material left behind when massive stars end their lives explosively, including a rare almost-perfect spherical example, and provides astronomers with the best insight yet into the population of mysterious ‘radio filaments’ found nowhere else. The highly-linear features pervading the image are radio-emitting magnetised threads. Up to 100 light-years long, these unique structures have defied a conclusive explanation for their origin since discovery over 35 years ago. MeerKAT has discovered many more such filaments than were previously known, and the new data release will allow astronomers to study these objects as a population for the first time. Also read | Planet outside Milky Way galaxy: This unique discovery is baffling scientists “The best telescopes expand our horizons in unexpected ways,” says Dr Fernando Camilo, SARAO chief scientist. “It’s a testament to the skill and dedication of our South African colleagues who built MeerKAT that it’s making such remarkable discoveries in one of the most intensively studied corners of the radio sky. The image we’re sharing today is rich with scientific potential, and we very much look forward to further surprises as the astronomical community mines these data for years to come.” The findings by the international team of astronomers have been published in 'The Astrophysical Journal.' The Milky Way, spiral-shaped with a central bar-like structure composed of stars, includes 100 to 400 billion stars, including the sun, which formed roughly 4.5 billion years ago. (With inputs from agencies)

Scientists find hundreds of complex, mysterious strands at the heart of the Milky Way

The universe has so many things going on that it is impossible to keep track of them all. Though we have taken leaps in developing new technology and are on the cusp of using the most powerful telescope ever built (James Webb), it is not possible to simultaneously keep track of literally trillions and trillions of celestial objects.

When we are going about running our daily errands, we are oblivious that thousands of things that take place in the cosmos.

One of them, collisions of galaxies! This sounds like a universe-ending phenomenon but is absolutely common and not as violent as movies have us believe. Bigger galaxies incorporate smaller galaxies as they move around in the universe. Just a matter of which one has more mass and few other factors. Milky Way galaxy is no exception to this.

Currently, our galaxy is colliding with the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy. This galaxy has less than 1 per cent of the stellar mass of the regular spiral galaxy like Milky Way galaxy. The matter in the dwarf galaxy is slowly being incorporated in a monster that our galaxy appears before it.

Feeling victorious? Step down the throne because Milky Way galaxy is going to collide with a bigger galaxy. Andromeda galaxy is approaching Milky Way at huge speed every second. The approach is going to result in a collision and will change physical appearance of both the galaxies. Milky Way galaxy would no longer have its characteristic spiral shape.

It's perhaps too bad none of us would be alive to witness the mega-clash as it would take place a few billion years in future.

The universe has so many things going on that it is impossible to keep track of them all. Though we have taken leaps in developing new technology and are on the cusp of using the most powerful telescope ever built (James Webb), it is not possible to simultaneously keep track of literally trillions and trillions of celestial objects.

The universe has so many things going on that it is impossible to keep track of them all. Though we have taken leaps in developing new technology and are on the cusp of using the most powerful telescope ever built (James Webb), it is not possible to simultaneously keep track of literally trillions and trillions of celestial objects. When we are going about running our daily errands, we are oblivious that thousands of things that take place in the cosmos. One of them, collisions of galaxies! This sounds like a universe-ending phenomenon but is absolutely common and not as violent as movies have us believe. Bigger galaxies incorporate smaller galaxies as they move around in the universe. Just a matter of which one has more mass and few other factors. Milky Way galaxy is no exception to this. Currently, our galaxy is colliding with the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy. This galaxy has less than 1 per cent of the stellar mass of the regular spiral galaxy like Milky Way galaxy. The matter in the dwarf galaxy is slowly being incorporated in a monster that our galaxy appears before it. Feeling victorious? Step down the throne because Milky Way galaxy is going to collide with a bigger galaxy. Andromeda galaxy is approaching Milky Way at huge speed every second. The approach is going to result in a collision and will change physical appearance of both the galaxies. Milky Way galaxy would no longer have its characteristic spiral shape. It's perhaps too bad none of us would be alive to witness the mega-clash as it would take place a few billion years in future.

This is Milky Way galaxy's latest collision

Astronomers have discovered that our teeth and a galaxy which is 12 billion light-years away have something in common.

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) along with the European Southern Observatory (ESO) has detected fluorine in a distant galaxy called NGP-190387.

This chemical element is also found in our teeth and bones in the form of fluoride.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/earths-planetary-defence-nasa-unveils-spacecraft-that-targets-asteroids-426828" hreflang="en">Earth's 'planetary defence': NASA unveils spacecraft that targets asteroids</a>

The study, conducted by the University of Hertfordshire in the UK, has been published in the journal Nature Astronomy.

The discovery marks one of the first detections of fluorine beyond the Milky Way and its neighbouring galaxies.

Earlier, it had been spotted in&nbsp;only distant quasars, bright objects powered by supermassive black holes at the centre of some galaxies

According to the study's author, Maximilien Franco, ''We did not even know which type of stars produced the majority of fluorine in the Universe!''

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/dragon-black-holes-that-defy-norms-of-physics-can-mess-with-your-future-426577" hreflang="en">'Dragon' black holes that defy norms of physics can mess with your future</a>

Models of the Big Bang at the birth of the universe almost 14 billion years ago allow astronomers to calculate quite accurately how much fluorine should be present.

''Our measurement adds a completely new constraint on the origin of fluorine, which has been studied for two decades,'' said study's co-author Chiaki Kobayashi.

Meanwhile, Chentao Yang from ESO said, ''ALMA is sensitive to radiation emitted by cold interstellar gas and dust. With the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), we will be able to observe NGP-190387 through the direct light of stars, gaining crucial information on the stellar content of this galaxy.''

Previously, scientists had discovered lithium in a type of stellar explosion known as a nova for the first time.

It helped clear up a longstanding mystery in astrophysics about the quantity of the element that has been observed in stars.

Astronomers have discovered that our teeth and a galaxy which is 12 billion light-years away have something in common. The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) along with the European Southern Observatory (ESO) has detected fluorine in a distant galaxy called NGP-190387.

Astronomers have discovered that our teeth and a galaxy which is 12 billion light-years away have something in common. The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) along with the European Southern Observatory (ESO) has detected fluorine in a distant galaxy called NGP-190387. This chemical element is also found in our teeth and bones in the form of fluoride. Also read | Earth's 'planetary defence': NASA unveils spacecraft that targets asteroids The study, conducted by the University of Hertfordshire in the UK, has been published in the journal Nature Astronomy. The discovery marks one of the first detections of fluorine beyond the Milky Way and its neighbouring galaxies. Earlier, it had been spotted in only distant quasars, bright objects powered by supermassive black holes at the centre of some galaxies According to the study's author, Maximilien Franco, ''We did not even know which type of stars produced the majority of fluorine in the Universe!'' Also read | 'Dragon' black holes that defy norms of physics can mess with your future Models of the Big Bang at the birth of the universe almost 14 billion years ago allow astronomers to calculate quite accurately how much fluorine should be present. ''Our measurement adds a completely new constraint on the origin of fluorine, which has been studied for two decades,'' said study's co-author Chiaki Kobayashi. Meanwhile, Chentao Yang from ESO said, ''ALMA is sensitive to radiation emitted by cold interstellar gas and dust. With the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), we will be able to observe NGP-190387 through the direct light of stars, gaining crucial information on the stellar content of this galaxy.'' Previously, scientists had discovered lithium in a type of stellar explosion known as a nova for the first time. It helped clear up a longstanding mystery in astrophysics about the quantity of the element that has been observed in stars.

This element is found in both our teeth and in a galaxy which is 12 billion light years away

NASA has discovered the first possible planet outside the Milky Way Galaxy. Located in the 'Whirlpool' Galaxy, the new planet is 28 million light-years away from earth. How was it discovered? Palki Sharma gets you the details.

Gravitas: NASA discovers first planet outside Milky Way Galaxy

A new discovery made by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory is baffling astronomers.

Potentially representing what would be the first planet seen to transit a star outside of the Milky Way, scientists have found evidence for a possible planet candidate in the M51 ("Whirlpool") galaxy.

It is located about 28 million light-years away from Earth. A light-year is the distance light travels in a year, 5.9 trillion miles (9.5 trillion km).

The study, led by&nbsp;Rosanne Di Stefano from the&nbsp;Centre&nbsp;for Astrophysics,&nbsp;was published today in Nature Astronomy.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/blue-origin-owner-jeff-bezos-unveils-plan-to-build-commercial-space-station-424048" hreflang="en">Blue Origin owner Jeff Bezos unveils plan to build commercial space station</a>

''We are trying to open up a whole new arena for finding other worlds by searching for planet candidates at X-ray wavelengths, a strategy that makes it possible to discover them in other galaxies, said&nbsp;Di Stefano.

Astronomers used the transit technique to detect a dimming of X-rays from an "X-ray binary" which they believe is a planet passing in front of the neutron star or black hole.

Stars burst to life within clouds of interstellar gas and dust scattered throughout galaxies.

Leftover material spinning around a new star then coalesces into planets, and circumplanetary disks surrounding some planets similarly yield moons.

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/want-to-become-a-space-tourist-here-is-all-you-need-to-do-399437" hreflang="en">Want to become a space tourist? Here is all you need to do</a>

More than 4,400 planets have been discovered outside our solar system, called exoplanets.

Scientists have discovered exoplanets using transits with optical light telescopes, which detect the range of light humans can see with their eyes and more.

This includes both ground-based telescopes and space-based ones like NASA's Kepler mission.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/oxygen-sucking-asteroids-could-have-permanently-altered-earths-atmosphere-422864" hreflang="en">Oxygen sucking asteroids could have permanently altered Earth's atmosphere</a>

These optical light transit detections require very high levels of sensitivity because the planet is much smaller than the star it passes in front of, and, therefore, only a tiny fraction of the light is blocked.&nbsp;

NASA expects to pinpoint thousands more previously unknown worlds, perhaps hundreds of them Earth-sized or ''super-Earth''&nbsp;sized which will&nbsp;not be any larger than or twice as big as our home planet.

Scientists are eager to learn more about how they are born as cold gas and dust consolidate in these disks surrounding new stars.

Those are believed the most likely to feature rocky surfaces or oceans and are thus considered the best candidates for life to evolve. 
&nbsp;

A new discovery made by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory is baffling astronomers. Potentially representing what would be the first planet seen to transit a star outside of the Milky Way, scientists have found evidence for a possible planet candidate in the M51 ("Whirlpool") galaxy.

A new discovery made by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory is baffling astronomers. Potentially representing what would be the first planet seen to transit a star outside of the Milky Way, scientists have found evidence for a possible planet candidate in the M51 ("Whirlpool") galaxy. It is located about 28 million light-years away from Earth. A light-year is the distance light travels in a year, 5.9 trillion miles (9.5 trillion km). The study, led by Rosanne Di Stefano from the Centre for Astrophysics, was published today in Nature Astronomy. Also read | Blue Origin owner Jeff Bezos unveils plan to build commercial space station ''We are trying to open up a whole new arena for finding other worlds by searching for planet candidates at X-ray wavelengths, a strategy that makes it possible to discover them in other galaxies, said Di Stefano. Astronomers used the transit technique to detect a dimming of X-rays from an "X-ray binary" which they believe is a planet passing in front of the neutron star or black hole. Stars burst to life within clouds of interstellar gas and dust scattered throughout galaxies. Leftover material spinning around a new star then coalesces into planets, and circumplanetary disks surrounding some planets similarly yield moons. Also see | Want to become a space tourist? Here is all you need to do More than 4,400 planets have been discovered outside our solar system, called exoplanets. Scientists have discovered exoplanets using transits with optical light telescopes, which detect the range of light humans can see with their eyes and more. This includes both ground-based telescopes and space-based ones like NASA's Kepler mission. Also read | Oxygen sucking asteroids could have permanently altered Earth's atmosphere These optical light transit detections require very high levels of sensitivity because the planet is much smaller than the star it passes in front of, and, therefore, only a tiny fraction of the light is blocked. NASA expects to pinpoint thousands more previously unknown worlds, perhaps hundreds of them Earth-sized or ''super-Earth'' sized which will not be any larger than or twice as big as our home planet. Scientists are eager to learn more about how they are born as cold gas and dust consolidate in these disks surrounding new stars. Those are believed the most likely to feature rocky surfaces or oceans and are thus considered the best candidates for life to evolve.

Planet outside Milky Way galaxy: This unique discovery is baffling scientists

The heart of the milky way galaxy, also known as the galactic centre is emitting some 'unusual radio waves'. Extraordinary signals that are unlike anything known to mankind have been discovered by a team of scientists at the university of Sydney. The scientists say these signals are beyond their understanding. That they're not coming from a star or a planet. But from a new kind of celestial object. The story is truly puzzling. The question is, could this be a new sign of life in outer space?

Milky way galaxy's galactic centre emits 'unusual radio waves'

That space is filled with breathtaking visual treats is something that is commonly known. But who knew space sounded divine? We may have grown up on tv shows and movies using the usual zip-zap-zoom to represent what they thought were sounds in space. But now NASA has put all speculations to rest by posting a video that is simply marvellous.

The video contains sound coming from centre of our milky way galaxy. The amazing and soothing sound clip posted by NASA is sure to keep you transfixed and even put you in a zen mode. The sound clip has been made using a technique called data sonification.

"...This sonification of the Milky Way's center combines data from the Hubble Space Telescope, the Spitzer Spac Telescope, and @nasachandraxray...." says NASA in its Instagram post.

"...The light of objects located towards the top of the image is pitched higher, while the intensity of the light controls the volume. Stars and compact sources are converted to individual notes while extended clouds of gas and dust produce an evolving drone," the space agency explains further.

Listen to the sublime cosmic music

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Understandably, the post has more than 200,000 views. An Instagram user, clearly impressed by the music has even asked NASA to 'drop on Spotify in comments. His comment alone has got 66 likes.

That space is filled with breathtaking visual treats is something that is commonly known. But who knew space sounded divine? We may have grown up on tv shows and movies using the usual zip-zap-zoom to represent what they thought were sounds in space.

That space is filled with breathtaking visual treats is something that is commonly known. But who knew space sounded divine? We may have grown up on tv shows and movies using the usual zip-zap-zoom to represent what they thought were sounds in space. But now NASA has put all speculations to rest by posting a video that is simply marvellous. The video contains sound coming from centre of our milky way galaxy. The amazing and soothing sound clip posted by NASA is sure to keep you transfixed and even put you in a zen mode. The sound clip has been made using a technique called data sonification. "...This sonification of the Milky Way's center combines data from the Hubble Space Telescope, the Spitzer Spac Telescope, and @nasachandraxray...." says NASA in its Instagram post. "...The light of objects located towards the top of the image is pitched higher, while the intensity of the light controls the volume. Stars and compact sources are converted to individual notes while extended clouds of gas and dust produce an evolving drone," the space agency explains further. Listen to the sublime cosmic music View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hubble Space Telescope (@nasahubble) × Understandably, the post has more than 200,000 views. An Instagram user, clearly impressed by the music has even asked NASA to 'drop on Spotify in comments. His comment alone has got 66 likes.

'Cosmic Music': Check out NASA post on 'heavenly' sounds from galaxy's centre

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has spotted a&nbsp;contingent of young stars and star-forming clouds&nbsp;jutting out from the Milky Way's Sagittarius Arm.

Stretching some 3,000 light-years, this is the first major structure identified with an orientation so dramatically different than the arm.

Until now, the understanding of the galaxy’s shape had been based upon indirect measurements of celestial landmarks within the Milky Way and inferences from structures observed in other galaxies populating the universe.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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&nbsp;

The Milky Way began to form relatively soon after the Big Bang explosion that marked the beginning of the universe some 13.8 billion years ago.&nbsp;

Astronomers have a rough idea of the size and shape of the Milky Way’s arms, but much remains unknown: They cannot&nbsp;see the full structure of our home galaxy because Earth is inside it.

NASA used its Spitzer Space telescope to detect infrared light that can penetrate those clouds, while visible light (the kind human eyes can see) is blocked.

Young stars and nebulae are thought to align closely with the shape of the arms they reside in. To get a three-dimensional&nbsp;view of the arm segment, the scientists used the latest data release from the ESA (European Space Agency) Gaia mission to measure the precise distances to the stars.

The combined data revealed that the long, thin structure associated with the Sagittarius Arm is made of young stars moving at nearly the same velocity and in the same direction through space.

Michael Kuhn, an astrophysicist at Caltech and lead author of the new paper, said ''A key property of spiral arms is how tightly they wind around a galaxy.''

This characteristic is measured by the arm’s pitch angle. A circle has a pitch angle of 0 degrees, and as the spiral becomes more open, the pitch angle increases.

''Most models of the Milky Way suggest that the Sagittarius Arm forms a spiral that has a pitch angle of about 12 degrees, but the structure we examined really stands out at an angle of nearly 60 degrees.''

Similar structures,&nbsp;sometimes called spurs or feathers,&nbsp;are commonly found jutting off the arms of other spiral galaxies. For decades scientists have wondered whether our Milky Way’s spiral arms are also dotted with these structures or if they are relatively smooth.

The Milky Way, spiral-shaped with a central bar-like structure composed of stars, includes 100 to 400 billion stars, including the sun.

(With inputs from agencies)

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has spotted a contingent of young stars and star-forming clouds jutting out from the Milky Way's Sagittarius Arm.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has spotted a contingent of young stars and star-forming clouds jutting out from the Milky Way's Sagittarius Arm. Stretching some 3,000 light-years, this is the first major structure identified with an orientation so dramatically different than the arm. Until now, the understanding of the galaxy’s shape had been based upon indirect measurements of celestial landmarks within the Milky Way and inferences from structures observed in other galaxies populating the universe. The Milky Way began to form relatively soon after the Big Bang explosion that marked the beginning of the universe some 13.8 billion years ago. Astronomers have a rough idea of the size and shape of the Milky Way’s arms, but much remains unknown: They cannot see the full structure of our home galaxy because Earth is inside it. NASA used its Spitzer Space telescope to detect infrared light that can penetrate those clouds, while visible light (the kind human eyes can see) is blocked. Young stars and nebulae are thought to align closely with the shape of the arms they reside in. To get a three-dimensional view of the arm segment, the scientists used the latest data release from the ESA (European Space Agency) Gaia mission to measure the precise distances to the stars. The combined data revealed that the long, thin structure associated with the Sagittarius Arm is made of young stars moving at nearly the same velocity and in the same direction through space. Michael Kuhn, an astrophysicist at Caltech and lead author of the new paper, said ''A key property of spiral arms is how tightly they wind around a galaxy.'' This characteristic is measured by the arm’s pitch angle. A circle has a pitch angle of 0 degrees, and as the spiral becomes more open, the pitch angle increases. ''Most models of the Milky Way suggest that the Sagittarius Arm forms a spiral that has a pitch angle of about 12 degrees, but the structure we examined really stands out at an angle of nearly 60 degrees.'' Similar structures, sometimes called spurs or feathers, are commonly found jutting off the arms of other spiral galaxies. For decades scientists have wondered whether our Milky Way’s spiral arms are also dotted with these structures or if they are relatively smooth. The Milky Way, spiral-shaped with a central bar-like structure composed of stars, includes 100 to 400 billion stars, including the sun. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA spots a ‘break’ in one of the Milky Way’s spiral arms

Scientists have discovered light 'echoes' emitted from behind a black hole in the Milky Way galaxy. Palki Sharma tells you how this discovery vindicates a century-old theory by Albert Einstein.

Gravitas: Light spotted from behind a black hole

Scientists have resolved a&nbsp;13-billion-year-old mystery of the Milky Way's elements with the help of a&nbsp;stellar explosion in space.

The Milky Way began to form relatively soon after the Big Bang explosion that marked the beginning of the universe some 13.8 billion years ago.

Until now, it was believed that neutron star mergers were the only way heavy elements (heavier than Zinc) could be produced.

But the discovery of an ancient star SMSS J2003-1142 in the Milky Way's halo&nbsp;is providing the first evidence for another source for heavy elements, including uranium and possibly gold.

The study published in Nature&nbsp;shows the heavy elements detected in SMSS J2003-1142 were likely produced, not by a neutron star merger, but through the collapse and explosion of a rapidly spinning star with a strong magnetic field and a mass about 25 times that of the Sun.

This stellar explosion is called 'magnetorotational hypernova' by astronomers.

A star-formation binge in the Milky Way spanning the time when the solar system was born more than 4.5 billion years ago was apparently precipitated by the collision between our galaxy and a smaller one called Sagittarius, scientists said on Tuesday.

Such collisions typically do not involve stars smashing head-on, they said, but can foster conditions for star formation by, for example, amping up the amount of gas in a galaxy or having gas clouds come together.

The galaxies first crashed more than 6 billion years ago. Since then, Sagittarius - a “dwarf” galaxy 10,000 times less massive than the Milky Way - has twice passed through our galaxy’s immense disk containing most of its roughly 100 billion stars. All three galactic interactions were associated with a burst of Milky Way star formation.

Data from the European Space Agency’s Gaia space observatory revealed a prolonged star-formation episode from 6.2 billion to 4.2 billion years ago associated with the initial crash. Two other star-formation surges linked to the galactic collision peaked 1.9 billion years ago and 1 billion years ago, each lasting a few hundred million years.

“It is not really an impact like a car crash,” said astronomer Tomás Ruiz-Lara of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias in Spain, lead author of the research published in the journal Nature Astronomy. “Some parts of Sagittarius and the Milky Way intersect, but stars do not crash. A star-star collision would be really, really rare.”

The collision disrupted our galaxy’s steady pace of star formation.

“First, we have the addition of material, gas, from Sagittarius that increases the amount of gas in our galaxy to form new stars. Second, you have the collision between gas clouds from Sagittarius and the Milky Way triggering star formation,” Ruiz-Lara said.

“Third, gravitational instabilities induced by the interaction are able to trigger star formation,” Ruiz-Lara added, by causing “ripples” in the density of the gaseous interstellar medium.

(With inputs from agencies)

Scientists have resolved a 13-billion-year-old mystery of the Milky Way's elements with the help of a stellar explosion in space. The Milky Way began to form relatively soon after the Big Bang explosion that marked the beginning of the universe some 13.

Scientists have resolved a 13-billion-year-old mystery of the Milky Way's elements with the help of a stellar explosion in space. The Milky Way began to form relatively soon after the Big Bang explosion that marked the beginning of the universe some 13.8 billion years ago. Until now, it was believed that neutron star mergers were the only way heavy elements (heavier than Zinc) could be produced. But the discovery of an ancient star SMSS J2003-1142 in the Milky Way's halo is providing the first evidence for another source for heavy elements, including uranium and possibly gold. The study published in Nature shows the heavy elements detected in SMSS J2003-1142 were likely produced, not by a neutron star merger, but through the collapse and explosion of a rapidly spinning star with a strong magnetic field and a mass about 25 times that of the Sun. This stellar explosion is called 'magnetorotational hypernova' by astronomers. A star-formation binge in the Milky Way spanning the time when the solar system was born more than 4.5 billion years ago was apparently precipitated by the collision between our galaxy and a smaller one called Sagittarius, scientists said on Tuesday. Such collisions typically do not involve stars smashing head-on, they said, but can foster conditions for star formation by, for example, amping up the amount of gas in a galaxy or having gas clouds come together. The galaxies first crashed more than 6 billion years ago. Since then, Sagittarius - a “dwarf” galaxy 10,000 times less massive than the Milky Way - has twice passed through our galaxy’s immense disk containing most of its roughly 100 billion stars. All three galactic interactions were associated with a burst of Milky Way star formation. Data from the European Space Agency’s Gaia space observatory revealed a prolonged star-formation episode from 6.2 billion to 4.2 billion years ago associated with the initial crash. Two other star-formation surges linked to the galactic collision peaked 1.9 billion years ago and 1 billion years ago, each lasting a few hundred million years. “It is not really an impact like a car crash,” said astronomer Tomás Ruiz-Lara of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias in Spain, lead author of the research published in the journal Nature Astronomy. “Some parts of Sagittarius and the Milky Way intersect, but stars do not crash. A star-star collision would be really, really rare.” The collision disrupted our galaxy’s steady pace of star formation. “First, we have the addition of material, gas, from Sagittarius that increases the amount of gas in our galaxy to form new stars. Second, you have the collision between gas clouds from Sagittarius and the Milky Way triggering star formation,” Ruiz-Lara said. “Third, gravitational instabilities induced by the interaction are able to trigger star formation,” Ruiz-Lara added, by causing “ripples” in the density of the gaseous interstellar medium. (With inputs from agencies)

Stellar explosion helps scientists explain 13-billion-year-old mystery of Milky Way's elements

We know what is at the centre of our Milky Way Galaxy, a Supermassive Black Hole. The unimaginably huge gravity associated with this Supermassive Black Hole is the reason billions of stars in our galaxy are held 'together'. It is this gravity that keeps the galaxy from splitting apart. Scientists have fascination about the galactic centre.

But now another object near our galactic centre has made scientists curious. A star named VVV-WIT-08 'blinked'. This is to say that it appeared to go out of existence before appearing again. The light coming out from the star dimmed by about 97 per cent before becoming bright again.

The 'WIT' in the star's name above literally stands for 'What Is This'.

Scientists think that the culprit behind this dimming effect is another star or planet surrounded by a thick opaque disk of dust. The researchers feel that the object is gravitationally bound to the star that appears to have 'blinked'. However, they are not sure what is exactly coming between the star and our telescopes here on Earth.

"It's amazing that we just observed a dark, large and elongated object pass between us and the distant star and we can only speculate what its origin is," astronomer Sergey Koposov from the University of Edinburgh has been quoted as saying by EurekaAlert.

The research has been published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

We know what is at the centre of our Milky Way Galaxy, a Supermassive Black Hole. The unimaginably huge gravity associated with this Supermassive Black Hole is the reason billions of stars in our galaxy are held 'together'.

We know what is at the centre of our Milky Way Galaxy, a Supermassive Black Hole. The unimaginably huge gravity associated with this Supermassive Black Hole is the reason billions of stars in our galaxy are held 'together'. It is this gravity that keeps the galaxy from splitting apart. Scientists have fascination about the galactic centre. But now another object near our galactic centre has made scientists curious. A star named VVV-WIT-08 'blinked'. This is to say that it appeared to go out of existence before appearing again. The light coming out from the star dimmed by about 97 per cent before becoming bright again. The 'WIT' in the star's name above literally stands for 'What Is This'. Scientists think that the culprit behind this dimming effect is another star or planet surrounded by a thick opaque disk of dust. The researchers feel that the object is gravitationally bound to the star that appears to have 'blinked'. However, they are not sure what is exactly coming between the star and our telescopes here on Earth. "It's amazing that we just observed a dark, large and elongated object pass between us and the distant star and we can only speculate what its origin is," astronomer Sergey Koposov from the University of Edinburgh has been quoted as saying by EurekaAlert. The research has been published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

A mysterious star near galactic centre appears to have 'blinked'

NASA recently released a mesmerising image of our galaxy’s hub. Dubbed as Milky Way’s “downtown”, the picture is a composite of at least 370 observations made over the last 20 yeas by Chandra X-ray Observatory.

The image shows countless stars and black holes situated in the heart of Milky Way galaxy. A South African telescope was also used to add contrast to the image.

Daniel Wang from the University of Massachusetts Amherst on Friday told Associated Press that he had been working on the image for a year during the peak of COVID-19 pandemic. He referred to the image as a “violent or energetic ecosystem in our galaxy’s downtown”.

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Unravel the threads of superheated gas and magnetic fields that make up the tapestry of energy of our Milky Way galaxy. 🌌 
 
A new image from <a href="https://twitter.com/chandraxray?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChandraXray</a> brings to life the giant mosaic of data that weaves together this cosmic masterpiece. Discover more: <a href="https://t.co/UJZMMDe2Zg">https://t.co/UJZMMDe2Zg</a> <a href="https://t.co/jkNgFXk2z2">pic.twitter.com/jkNgFXk2z2</a>
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The Milky Way’s extremely energised downtown is situated 26,000 light years away.&nbsp; According to Wang, the image represents an array of celestial objects - from remains of supernova to black holes.&nbsp;

The detailed research was published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society’s June 2021 issue.

This is not the only visual marvel to depict the Milky Way this year. In March, an astrophotographer did the unthinkable by capturing the Milky Way! Finnish photographer JP Metsavainio spent 12 years putting together 234 frames of images at 125 degrees to create a mosaic of the sky.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/astrophotographer-creates-a-remarkable-mosaic-of-the-milky-way-galaxy-372060" hreflang="en">Astrophotographer creates a remarkable mosaic of the Milky Way galaxy</a>

The panorama created by the photographer shows 20 million stars and was finished on March 16. Each image part of the mosaic is an artwork in its own right and has&nbsp;been made available on his blog.&nbsp;

NASA says that the Milky Way is about 100,000 light-years long.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/astronomers-discover-how-the-milky-way-galaxy-was-formed-386009" hreflang="en">Astronomers discover how the Milky Way galaxy was formed</a>

NASA recently released a mesmerising image of our galaxy’s hub. Dubbed as Milky Way’s “downtown”, the picture is a composite of at least 370 observations made over the last 20 yeas by Chandra X-ray Observatory.

NASA recently released a mesmerising image of our galaxy’s hub. Dubbed as Milky Way’s “downtown”, the picture is a composite of at least 370 observations made over the last 20 yeas by Chandra X-ray Observatory. The image shows countless stars and black holes situated in the heart of Milky Way galaxy. A South African telescope was also used to add contrast to the image. Daniel Wang from the University of Massachusetts Amherst on Friday told Associated Press that he had been working on the image for a year during the peak of COVID-19 pandemic. He referred to the image as a “violent or energetic ecosystem in our galaxy’s downtown”. Unravel the threads of superheated gas and magnetic fields that make up the tapestry of energy of our Milky Way galaxy. 🌌 A new image from @ChandraXray brings to life the giant mosaic of data that weaves together this cosmic masterpiece. Discover more: https://t.co/UJZMMDe2Zg pic.twitter.com/jkNgFXk2z2 — NASA (@NASA) May 27, 2021 × The Milky Way’s extremely energised downtown is situated 26,000 light years away. According to Wang, the image represents an array of celestial objects - from remains of supernova to black holes. The detailed research was published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society’s June 2021 issue. This is not the only visual marvel to depict the Milky Way this year. In March, an astrophotographer did the unthinkable by capturing the Milky Way! Finnish photographer JP Metsavainio spent 12 years putting together 234 frames of images at 125 degrees to create a mosaic of the sky. Also read: Astrophotographer creates a remarkable mosaic of the Milky Way galaxy The panorama created by the photographer shows 20 million stars and was finished on March 16. Each image part of the mosaic is an artwork in its own right and has been made available on his blog. NASA says that the Milky Way is about 100,000 light-years long. Also read: Astronomers discover how the Milky Way galaxy was formed

NASA shares glimpse of Milky Way's energy-packed 'downtown'

Shape of galaxies has more significance than we think. At the very start of its formation, dark matter brings hot gas together. This forms stars and it further leads to formation of a mis-shapen galaxy. As the galaxy 'matures' and starts rotating about itself, it may give rise to a spiral galaxy. The spiral shape of a galaxy gives rise to more stars and some stars may even form planets that have life. Our Milky Way galaxy is one such spiral galaxy.

In other words, the spiral shape of our galaxy is directly connected with human experience.

Scientists have now clicked a picture of oldest spiral galaxy in the universe. This galaxy was formed 12.4 billion years ago. This means that it was formed just 1.4 billion years after the big bang.

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'Light: ALMA Sees MostDistant Milky Way Look-alike'✨ <a href="https://t.co/dgHhufEKcs">pic.twitter.com/dgHhufEKcs</a>
— ALMA Observatory at Home📡 (@almaobs) <a href="https://twitter.com/almaobs/status/1393933001516531713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The galaxy has been officially named BRI 1335-0417. It's image was clicked as a part of study that has now been published in journal&nbsp;Science. It was clicked by &nbsp;Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope in Chile.

The ALMA telescope also has the distinction of clicking the image of another galaxy that was formerly considered the oldest spiral galaxy in universe.

Though the newly clicked BRI 1335-0417 is the oldest spiral galaxy in the universe, it is not the oldest galaxy observed by us. That place is held by galaxy named GNz11. It was observed last December.

Shape of galaxies has more significance than we think. At the very start of its formation, dark matter brings hot gas together. This forms stars and it further leads to formation of a mis-shapen galaxy.

Shape of galaxies has more significance than we think. At the very start of its formation, dark matter brings hot gas together. This forms stars and it further leads to formation of a mis-shapen galaxy. As the galaxy 'matures' and starts rotating about itself, it may give rise to a spiral galaxy. The spiral shape of a galaxy gives rise to more stars and some stars may even form planets that have life. Our Milky Way galaxy is one such spiral galaxy. In other words, the spiral shape of our galaxy is directly connected with human experience. Scientists have now clicked a picture of oldest spiral galaxy in the universe. This galaxy was formed 12.4 billion years ago. This means that it was formed just 1.4 billion years after the big bang. By #ESOcast @ESO 'Light: ALMA Sees MostDistant Milky Way Look-alike'✨ pic.twitter.com/dgHhufEKcs — ALMA Observatory at Home📡 (@almaobs) May 16, 2021 × The galaxy has been officially named BRI 1335-0417. It's image was clicked as a part of study that has now been published in journal Science. It was clicked by Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope in Chile. The ALMA telescope also has the distinction of clicking the image of another galaxy that was formerly considered the oldest spiral galaxy in universe. Though the newly clicked BRI 1335-0417 is the oldest spiral galaxy in the universe, it is not the oldest galaxy observed by us. That place is held by galaxy named GNz11. It was observed last December.

Scientists click photo of oldest spiral galaxy in universe

A new study led by researchers at Ohio State University provides the latest evidence into&nbsp;the formation of the Milky Way galaxy,&nbsp;including the merger with a key satellite galaxy.

The study,&nbsp;published in the journal Nature Astronomy, was conducted by using&nbsp;relatively new methods in astronomy.

The researchers were able to identify the most precise ages currently possible for a sample of about a hundred red giant stars in the galaxy.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/british-astronomers-unveil-the-most-detailed-map-of-milky-way-galaxy-347255">British astronomers unveil the most detailed map of Milky Way galaxy</a>

With this and other data, the researchers were able to show what was happening when the Milky Way merged with an orbiting satellite galaxy, known as Gaia-Enceladus, about 10 billion years ago.

"Our evidence suggests that when the merger occurred, the Milky Way had already formed a large population of its own stars," said Fiorenzo Vincenzo, co-author of the study and a fellow in The Ohio State University's Center for Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astronomers-discover-milky-way-galaxys-smallest-black-hole-dubbed-unicorn-379419">Astronomers discover Milky Way galaxy's smallest black hole dubbed 'Unicorn'</a>

Many of those "homemade" stars ended up in the thick disc in the middle of the galaxy, while most that were captured from Gaia-Enceladus are in the outer halo of the galaxy.

"The merging event with Gaia-Enceladus is thought to be one of the most important in the Milky Way's history, shaping how we observe it today," said Josefina Montalban, with the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Birmingham in the UK, who led the project.

By calculating the age of the stars, the researchers were able to determine, for the first time, that the stars captured from Gaia-Enceladus have similar or slightly younger ages compared to the majority of stars that were born inside the Milky Way.

A violent merger between two galaxies&nbsp;shakes things up, Vincenzo said.

Results showed that the merger changed the orbits of the stars already in the galaxy, making them more eccentric.

Vincenzo compared the stars'&nbsp;movements to a dance, where the stars from the former Gaia-Enceladus move differently than those born within the Milky Way.

The stars even "dress" differently, Vincenzo said, with stars from outside showing different chemical compositions from those born inside the Milky Way.

The researchers used several different approaches and data sources to conduct their study. One way the researchers were able to get such precise ages of the stars was through the use of asteroseismology, a relatively new field that probes the internal structure of stars.

Asteroseismologists study oscillations in stars, which are sound waves that ripple through their interiors, said Mathieu Vrard, a postdoctoral research associate in Ohio State's Department of Astronomy.

"That allows us to get very precise ages for the stars, which are important in determining the chronology of when events happened in the early Milky Way," Vrard said.

The study also used a spectroscopic survey, called APOGEE, which provides the chemical composition of stars- another aid in determining their ages.

"We have shown the great potential of asteroseismology, in combination with spectroscopy, to age-date individual stars," Montalban said.

This study is just the first step, according to the researchers.

"We now intend to apply this approach to larger samples of stars and to include even more subtle features of the frequency spectra. This will eventually lead to a much sharper view of the Milky Way's assembly history and evolution, creating a timeline of how our galaxy developed," Vincenzo said.

A new study led by researchers at Ohio State University provides the latest evidence into the formation of the Milky Way galaxy, including the merger with a key satellite galaxy.

A new study led by researchers at Ohio State University provides the latest evidence into the formation of the Milky Way galaxy, including the merger with a key satellite galaxy. The study, published in the journal Nature Astronomy, was conducted by using relatively new methods in astronomy. The researchers were able to identify the most precise ages currently possible for a sample of about a hundred red giant stars in the galaxy. Also read| British astronomers unveil the most detailed map of Milky Way galaxy With this and other data, the researchers were able to show what was happening when the Milky Way merged with an orbiting satellite galaxy, known as Gaia-Enceladus, about 10 billion years ago. "Our evidence suggests that when the merger occurred, the Milky Way had already formed a large population of its own stars," said Fiorenzo Vincenzo, co-author of the study and a fellow in The Ohio State University's Center for Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics. Also read| Astronomers discover Milky Way galaxy's smallest black hole dubbed 'Unicorn' Many of those "homemade" stars ended up in the thick disc in the middle of the galaxy, while most that were captured from Gaia-Enceladus are in the outer halo of the galaxy. "The merging event with Gaia-Enceladus is thought to be one of the most important in the Milky Way's history, shaping how we observe it today," said Josefina Montalban, with the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Birmingham in the UK, who led the project. By calculating the age of the stars, the researchers were able to determine, for the first time, that the stars captured from Gaia-Enceladus have similar or slightly younger ages compared to the majority of stars that were born inside the Milky Way. A violent merger between two galaxies shakes things up, Vincenzo said. Results showed that the merger changed the orbits of the stars already in the galaxy, making them more eccentric. Vincenzo compared the stars' movements to a dance, where the stars from the former Gaia-Enceladus move differently than those born within the Milky Way. The stars even "dress" differently, Vincenzo said, with stars from outside showing different chemical compositions from those born inside the Milky Way. The researchers used several different approaches and data sources to conduct their study. One way the researchers were able to get such precise ages of the stars was through the use of asteroseismology, a relatively new field that probes the internal structure of stars. Asteroseismologists study oscillations in stars, which are sound waves that ripple through their interiors, said Mathieu Vrard, a postdoctoral research associate in Ohio State's Department of Astronomy. "That allows us to get very precise ages for the stars, which are important in determining the chronology of when events happened in the early Milky Way," Vrard said. The study also used a spectroscopic survey, called APOGEE, which provides the chemical composition of stars- another aid in determining their ages. "We have shown the great potential of asteroseismology, in combination with spectroscopy, to age-date individual stars," Montalban said. This study is just the first step, according to the researchers. "We now intend to apply this approach to larger samples of stars and to include even more subtle features of the frequency spectra. This will eventually lead to a much sharper view of the Milky Way's assembly history and evolution, creating a timeline of how our galaxy developed," Vincenzo said.

Astronomers discover how the Milky Way galaxy was formed

Scientists have discovered what may be the smallest-known black hole in the Milky Way galaxy and the closest to our solar system,&nbsp;an object so curious that they nicknamed it 'the&nbsp;Unicorn.'

The researchers said the black hole is roughly three times the mass of our sun, testing the lower limits of size for these extraordinarily dense objects that possess gravitational pulls so strong not even light can escape. A luminous star called a red giant orbits with the black hole in a so-called binary star system named V723 Mon.

The black hole is located about 1,500 light-years,&nbsp;the distance light travels in a year, 5.9 trillion miles (9.5 trillion km),&nbsp;from Earth. While it may be the closest one to us, it is still far away. By way of comparison, the closest star to our solar system, Proxima Centauri, is four&nbsp;light-years away.

Black holes like this one form when massive stars die and their cores collapse.

"We nicknamed this black hole 'the&nbsp;Unicorn' partly because V723 Mon is in the Monoceros constellation, which translates to&nbsp;unicorn, and partly because it is a very unique system" in terms of the black hole's mass and relative closeness to Earth, said Ohio State University astronomy doctoral student Tharindu Jayasinghe, lead author of the study published this week in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

There are three categories of black holes. The smallest, like 'the&nbsp;Unicorn,' are so-called stellar-mass black holes formed by the gravitational collapse of a single star. There are gargantuan 'supermassive' black holes like the one at our galaxy's center, 26,000 light-years from Earth, which is four million times the sun's mass. A few intermediate-mass black holes also have been found with masses somewhere in between.

"It is clear that nature makes black holes of a wide range of masses. But a three-solar-mass black hole is a big surprise. There are no very good models for how to make such a black hole, but I am sure people will work on that more now," said Ohio State University astronomy professor and study co-author Kris Stanek.

'The&nbsp;Unicorn' falls into what the researchers called a "mass gap" between the largest-known neutron stars, objects similarly formed by a large star's collapse,&nbsp;at around 2.2 times the mass of our sun and what previously had been considered the smallest black holes at around five times the sun's mass.

"'The&nbsp;unicorn' is truly one of the smallest black holes possible," Jayasinghe said.

Its strong gravity alters the shape of its companion star in a phenomenon known as tidal distortion, making it elongated rather than spherical and causing its light to change as it moves along its orbital path. It was these effects on the companion star, observed using Earth-based and orbiting telescopes, that indicated the black hole's presence.

"Black holes are electromagnetically dark, and so they are difficult to find," Jayasinghe said.

Unlike some other black holes orbiting with a star, this one was not observed to be drawing material from its companion, which is 173 times more luminous than our sun.

The only smaller potential black hole is one with a mass 2.6 times that of our sun that was spotted in another galaxy, Jayasinghe said.

Another team of scientists last year described a black hole roughly 1,000 light-years from Earth, but other researchers have questioned whether it is a black hole.

(With inputs from agencies)

Scientists have discovered what may be the smallest-known black hole in the Milky Way galaxy and the closest to our solar system, an object so curious that they nicknamed it 'the Unicorn.

Scientists have discovered what may be the smallest-known black hole in the Milky Way galaxy and the closest to our solar system, an object so curious that they nicknamed it 'the Unicorn.' The researchers said the black hole is roughly three times the mass of our sun, testing the lower limits of size for these extraordinarily dense objects that possess gravitational pulls so strong not even light can escape. A luminous star called a red giant orbits with the black hole in a so-called binary star system named V723 Mon. The black hole is located about 1,500 light-years, the distance light travels in a year, 5.9 trillion miles (9.5 trillion km), from Earth. While it may be the closest one to us, it is still far away. By way of comparison, the closest star to our solar system, Proxima Centauri, is four light-years away. Black holes like this one form when massive stars die and their cores collapse. "We nicknamed this black hole 'the Unicorn' partly because V723 Mon is in the Monoceros constellation, which translates to unicorn, and partly because it is a very unique system" in terms of the black hole's mass and relative closeness to Earth, said Ohio State University astronomy doctoral student Tharindu Jayasinghe, lead author of the study published this week in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. There are three categories of black holes. The smallest, like 'the Unicorn,' are so-called stellar-mass black holes formed by the gravitational collapse of a single star. There are gargantuan 'supermassive' black holes like the one at our galaxy's center, 26,000 light-years from Earth, which is four million times the sun's mass. A few intermediate-mass black holes also have been found with masses somewhere in between. "It is clear that nature makes black holes of a wide range of masses. But a three-solar-mass black hole is a big surprise. There are no very good models for how to make such a black hole, but I am sure people will work on that more now," said Ohio State University astronomy professor and study co-author Kris Stanek. 'The Unicorn' falls into what the researchers called a "mass gap" between the largest-known neutron stars, objects similarly formed by a large star's collapse, at around 2.2 times the mass of our sun and what previously had been considered the smallest black holes at around five times the sun's mass. "'The unicorn' is truly one of the smallest black holes possible," Jayasinghe said. Its strong gravity alters the shape of its companion star in a phenomenon known as tidal distortion, making it elongated rather than spherical and causing its light to change as it moves along its orbital path. It was these effects on the companion star, observed using Earth-based and orbiting telescopes, that indicated the black hole's presence. "Black holes are electromagnetically dark, and so they are difficult to find," Jayasinghe said. Unlike some other black holes orbiting with a star, this one was not observed to be drawing material from its companion, which is 173 times more luminous than our sun. The only smaller potential black hole is one with a mass 2.6 times that of our sun that was spotted in another galaxy, Jayasinghe said. Another team of scientists last year described a black hole roughly 1,000 light-years from Earth, but other researchers have questioned whether it is a black hole. (With inputs from agencies)

Astronomers discover Milky Way galaxy's smallest black hole dubbed 'Unicorn'

The mysterious glow in the centre of the Milky Way galaxy&nbsp;could be due to dark matter, as per a recent study.

Astronomers have been perplexed by the&nbsp;Galactic Center GeV Excess (GCE) ever since it was discovered in 2009.

Due to the very high densities of dark matter predicted to be present in the central region of our galaxy, the inner Milky Way is expected to be the single brightest source of dark matter annihilation radiation in the sky.

This region is astrophysically rich and complex, however, making the task of separating dark matter annihilation products from backgrounds potentially challenging.

NASA's Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope observes&nbsp;and identifies gamma rays from dark matter annihilations occurring cosmologically, as well as within the Galactic Halo, dwarf galaxies, microhalos, and the inner region of the Milky Way.

With Fermi, astronomers at long last have a superior tool to study how black holes, notorious for pulling matter in, can accelerate jets of gas outward at fantastic speeds.

Physicists are able to study subatomic particles at energies far greater than those seen in ground-based particle accelerators. And cosmologists are gaining valuable information about the birth and early evolution of the Universe.

In this study, the&nbsp;region surrounding the Galactic Center, a dark&nbsp;matter particle&nbsp;is annihilating with a cross-section within a factor of a few of the value predicted for a thermal relic.

However, researchers&nbsp;exclude the possibility that these photons originate from an astrophysical source or sources with similar morphology and spectral shape to those predicted in an annihilating dark matter scenario.

The mysterious glow in the centre of the Milky Way galaxy could be due to dark matter, as per a recent study. Astronomers have been perplexed by the Galactic Center GeV Excess (GCE) ever since it was discovered in 2009.

The mysterious glow in the centre of the Milky Way galaxy could be due to dark matter, as per a recent study. Astronomers have been perplexed by the Galactic Center GeV Excess (GCE) ever since it was discovered in 2009. Due to the very high densities of dark matter predicted to be present in the central region of our galaxy, the inner Milky Way is expected to be the single brightest source of dark matter annihilation radiation in the sky. This region is astrophysically rich and complex, however, making the task of separating dark matter annihilation products from backgrounds potentially challenging. NASA's Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope observes and identifies gamma rays from dark matter annihilations occurring cosmologically, as well as within the Galactic Halo, dwarf galaxies, microhalos, and the inner region of the Milky Way. With Fermi, astronomers at long last have a superior tool to study how black holes, notorious for pulling matter in, can accelerate jets of gas outward at fantastic speeds. Physicists are able to study subatomic particles at energies far greater than those seen in ground-based particle accelerators. And cosmologists are gaining valuable information about the birth and early evolution of the Universe. In this study, the region surrounding the Galactic Center, a dark matter particle is annihilating with a cross-section within a factor of a few of the value predicted for a thermal relic. However, researchers exclude the possibility that these photons originate from an astrophysical source or sources with similar morphology and spectral shape to those predicted in an annihilating dark matter scenario.

Mysterious glow in Milky Way's centre could be due to dark matter

An astrophotographer recently did the unthinkable by capturing the Milky Way! Finnish photographer JP Metsavainio spent the last 12 years putting together 234 frames of images at 125 degrees to create a mosaic of the sky.&nbsp;

NASA says that the Milky Way is about 100,000 light-years long, implying taking a picture is rather…. difficult!

The panorama created by the photographer shows 20 million stars and was finished on March 16. Each image part of the mosaic is an artwork in its own right and has&nbsp;been made available on his blog.&nbsp;

Here's the full mosaic:&nbsp;

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Milky Way, 12 years, 1250 hours of exposures and 125 x 22 degrees of sky. 
My Milky Way mosaic project gets large, the full size image in my blog is absolute must to see! (7000 x 1300 pixels), <a href="https://t.co/doh6Cso1MM">https://t.co/doh6Cso1MM</a> <a href="https://t.co/K1hzlG4jJ6">pic.twitter.com/K1hzlG4jJ6</a>
— J-P Metsavainio (@JP_Metsavainio) <a href="https://twitter.com/JP_Metsavainio/status/1371745893104427010?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Metsavainio claims that an image of this scale did not exist before, and that was the rationale behind his pursuit of the photographs. He used an array of different camera tools - lenses and telescopes at his observatory in northern Finland to capture the mind-blowing images.&nbsp;

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astronomer-makes-navigation-system-for-interstellar-space-travel-372313">Astronomer makes navigation system for interstellar space travel</a>

In conversation with CNN, the photographer said that he first uses image processing software to adjust colour, and then puts the panels together on a photo editing software.

He also said that one of his favourite images is of&nbsp;remnants of a dead star, which happens after the supernova! Metsavainio claims to do this work to show everyone how wonderful the world is, and intends to continue photographing the miracles of universe.

An astrophotographer recently did the unthinkable by capturing the Milky Way! Finnish photographer JP Metsavainio spent the last 12 years putting together 234 frames of images at 125 degrees to create a mosaic of the sky.

An astrophotographer recently did the unthinkable by capturing the Milky Way! Finnish photographer JP Metsavainio spent the last 12 years putting together 234 frames of images at 125 degrees to create a mosaic of the sky. NASA says that the Milky Way is about 100,000 light-years long, implying taking a picture is rather…. difficult! The panorama created by the photographer shows 20 million stars and was finished on March 16. Each image part of the mosaic is an artwork in its own right and has been made available on his blog. Here's the full mosaic: Milky Way, 12 years, 1250 hours of exposures and 125 x 22 degrees of sky. My Milky Way mosaic project gets large, the full size image in my blog is absolute must to see! (7000 x 1300 pixels), https://t.co/doh6Cso1MM pic.twitter.com/K1hzlG4jJ6 — J-P Metsavainio (@JP_Metsavainio) March 16, 2021 × Metsavainio claims that an image of this scale did not exist before, and that was the rationale behind his pursuit of the photographs. He used an array of different camera tools - lenses and telescopes at his observatory in northern Finland to capture the mind-blowing images. Also Read | Astronomer makes navigation system for interstellar space travel In conversation with CNN, the photographer said that he first uses image processing software to adjust colour, and then puts the panels together on a photo editing software. He also said that one of his favourite images is of remnants of a dead star, which happens after the supernova! Metsavainio claims to do this work to show everyone how wonderful the world is, and intends to continue photographing the miracles of universe.

Astrophotographer creates a remarkable mosaic of the Milky Way galaxy

Astronomers have detected the&nbsp;best place and time to live in the Milky Way, in a recent study published in&nbsp;the journal Astronomy and&nbsp;Astrophysics.

More than six&nbsp;billion years ago, the outskirts of the Milky Way were the safest places for the development of possible life forms, sheltered from the most violent explosions in the universe, that is, the&nbsp;gamma-ray bursts and supernovae.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astronomers-discover-new-exoplanet-instrumental-in-hunt-for-traces-of-life-beyond-solar-system-368348" hreflang="en">Astronomers discover new exoplanet instrumental in hunt for traces of life beyond solar system</a>

The study&nbsp;led by researchers from INAF and the University of Insubria in Italy investigates the incidence of these events throughout the evolution of our galaxy.

The universe is ripe with powerful explosions releasing large amounts of energy into its surroundings.

Starting from 4 billion years ago until now, the central regions, embracing also the Solar system, became the safest places.

Not too safe though: this study supports the hypothesis that a gamma-ray burst may have caused the first of the five great mass extinctions on Earth, which occurred 445 million years ago.

The group of researchers led by Riccardo Spinelli, PhD student at the University of Insubria and INAF associate in Milan said “Our work shows that, until 6 billion years ago, excluding the peripheral regions of the Milky Way, which had relatively few planets, due to high star formation and low metallicity, planets were subject to many explosive events able to trigger a mass extinction.”

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-releases-beautiful-photo-of-a-galaxy-far-far-away-368896" hreflang="en">NASA releases beautiful photo of a galaxy far far away</a>

Both supernovae and GRBs are linked to the life cycle of stars, and in particular to their death. A supernova occurs when a star much more massive than the Sun reaches the end of its life and explodes, or when a white dwarf – the remnant of less massive stars, such as the Sun,&nbsp;explodes after accreting mass from a companion in a binary system.

A GRB, on the other hand, is an intense flash of high-energy radiation emitted when a very massive and rapidly rotating star dies, or when two neutron stars, or a neutron star and a black hole both remnants of massive stars&nbsp;merge.

“Supernovae are more frequent in star-forming regions, where massive stars are formed,” Giancarlo Ghirlanda, co-author and INAF researcher in Milan, explains. “GRBs, on the other hand, prefer star-forming regions that are still poorly engulfed by heavy elements. In these regions, massive stars that are formed by metal-poor gas lose less mass during their life due to stellar winds. Therefore, these stars are able to keep themselves in rapid rotation, a necessary condition to be able to launch, once a black hole has formed, a powerful jet”.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasas-perseverance-rover-hunts-for-life-on-mars-369699">NASA's Perseverance rover hunts for life on Mars</a>

“To understand how these events are distributed within our galaxy, we started from a model which describes the evolution of our galaxy”, adds Francesco Haardt, professor at the University of Insubria and INAF associate. “This model predicts that the inner regions, as opposed to the peripheral regions, formed quickly in the early stages of the history of our galaxy. As time passed, the star formation rate decreased in the centre and gradually increased in the periphery.

Consequently, the primordial gas of hydrogen and helium was enriched with heavier elements (oxygen, carbon, nitrogen) quickly in the centre of the Milky Way, while in the periphery it was enriched more gradually, without however reaching the high metallicities of the central regions”.

The energy released by GRBs and supernovae is enormous. A supernova releases, in the high energy band, as much energy as the Milky Way, which contains hundreds of billions of stars, emits in a few hours. A GRB, in 10 seconds, emits what our galaxy does in a century. “Excluding the very central regions, less than 6500 light-years from the galactic centre, where supernova explosions are more frequent, our study suggests that evolutionary pressure in each epoch is determined by GRBs mainly”, Spinelli says.

“Although they are much rarer events than supernovae, GRBs are able to cause a mass extinction from larger distances: being the most energetic events, they are the bazookas with the longest range”.

The effect on a planet like Earth would be catastrophic. Several studies suggest that the gamma radiation released by a GRB within 3300 light-years from Earth would destroy the ozone layer in the atmosphere: without this protection, the planet would be exposed to the Sun’s ultraviolet radiation which could trigger the extinction of almost all life forms on the surface.

“As a secondary effect”, Spinelli continues, “the destruction of the ozone layer would produce nitrogen compounds. These would reduce the visible sunlight thus causing global cooling”. For these reasons, several studies proposed that the first of the five mass extinctions that affected Earth, the Late Ordovician mass extinction, about 445 million years ago, was caused by a GRB. The work by Spinelli and collaborators supports this hypothesis.

Regarding the “recent” past, the study finds that, in the last 500 million years, the Milky Way became globally safer than in earlier epochs, with the peripheral regions being more sterilised by lethal GRBs and the central ones, within 6500 light-years from the galactic centre, mostly exposed to supernovae.

At the distance of the Solar system from the galactic centre, this work estimates there has been at least one lethal GRB in the last 500 million years, possibly associated with the first great extinction. The worst seems to be over. 
&nbsp;

Astronomers have detected the best place and time to live in the Milky Way, in a recent study published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics. More than six billion years ago, the outskirts of the Milky Way were the safest places for the development of possible life forms, sheltered from the most violent explosions in the universe, that is, the gamma-ray bursts and supernovae.

Astronomers have detected the best place and time to live in the Milky Way, in a recent study published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics. More than six billion years ago, the outskirts of the Milky Way were the safest places for the development of possible life forms, sheltered from the most violent explosions in the universe, that is, the gamma-ray bursts and supernovae. Also read: Astronomers discover new exoplanet instrumental in hunt for traces of life beyond solar system The study led by researchers from INAF and the University of Insubria in Italy investigates the incidence of these events throughout the evolution of our galaxy. The universe is ripe with powerful explosions releasing large amounts of energy into its surroundings. Starting from 4 billion years ago until now, the central regions, embracing also the Solar system, became the safest places. Not too safe though: this study supports the hypothesis that a gamma-ray burst may have caused the first of the five great mass extinctions on Earth, which occurred 445 million years ago. The group of researchers led by Riccardo Spinelli, PhD student at the University of Insubria and INAF associate in Milan said “Our work shows that, until 6 billion years ago, excluding the peripheral regions of the Milky Way, which had relatively few planets, due to high star formation and low metallicity, planets were subject to many explosive events able to trigger a mass extinction.” Also read: NASA releases beautiful photo of a galaxy far far away Both supernovae and GRBs are linked to the life cycle of stars, and in particular to their death. A supernova occurs when a star much more massive than the Sun reaches the end of its life and explodes, or when a white dwarf – the remnant of less massive stars, such as the Sun, explodes after accreting mass from a companion in a binary system. A GRB, on the other hand, is an intense flash of high-energy radiation emitted when a very massive and rapidly rotating star dies, or when two neutron stars, or a neutron star and a black hole both remnants of massive stars merge. “Supernovae are more frequent in star-forming regions, where massive stars are formed,” Giancarlo Ghirlanda, co-author and INAF researcher in Milan, explains. “GRBs, on the other hand, prefer star-forming regions that are still poorly engulfed by heavy elements. In these regions, massive stars that are formed by metal-poor gas lose less mass during their life due to stellar winds. Therefore, these stars are able to keep themselves in rapid rotation, a necessary condition to be able to launch, once a black hole has formed, a powerful jet”. Also Read | NASA's Perseverance rover hunts for life on Mars “To understand how these events are distributed within our galaxy, we started from a model which describes the evolution of our galaxy”, adds Francesco Haardt, professor at the University of Insubria and INAF associate. “This model predicts that the inner regions, as opposed to the peripheral regions, formed quickly in the early stages of the history of our galaxy. As time passed, the star formation rate decreased in the centre and gradually increased in the periphery. Consequently, the primordial gas of hydrogen and helium was enriched with heavier elements (oxygen, carbon, nitrogen) quickly in the centre of the Milky Way, while in the periphery it was enriched more gradually, without however reaching the high metallicities of the central regions”. The energy released by GRBs and supernovae is enormous. A supernova releases, in the high energy band, as much energy as the Milky Way, which contains hundreds of billions of stars, emits in a few hours. A GRB, in 10 seconds, emits what our galaxy does in a century. “Excluding the very central regions, less than 6500 light-years from the galactic centre, where supernova explosions are more frequent, our study suggests that evolutionary pressure in each epoch is determined by GRBs mainly”, Spinelli says. “Although they are much rarer events than supernovae, GRBs are able to cause a mass extinction from larger distances: being the most energetic events, they are the bazookas with the longest range”. The effect on a planet like Earth would be catastrophic. Several studies suggest that the gamma radiation released by a GRB within 3300 light-years from Earth would destroy the ozone layer in the atmosphere: without this protection, the planet would be exposed to the Sun’s ultraviolet radiation which could trigger the extinction of almost all life forms on the surface. “As a secondary effect”, Spinelli continues, “the destruction of the ozone layer would produce nitrogen compounds. These would reduce the visible sunlight thus causing global cooling”. For these reasons, several studies proposed that the first of the five mass extinctions that affected Earth, the Late Ordovician mass extinction, about 445 million years ago, was caused by a GRB. The work by Spinelli and collaborators supports this hypothesis. Regarding the “recent” past, the study finds that, in the last 500 million years, the Milky Way became globally safer than in earlier epochs, with the peripheral regions being more sterilised by lethal GRBs and the central ones, within 6500 light-years from the galactic centre, mostly exposed to supernovae. At the distance of the Solar system from the galactic centre, this work estimates there has been at least one lethal GRB in the last 500 million years, possibly associated with the first great extinction. The worst seems to be over.

Astronomers detect best place and time to live in Milky Way

An unusually hot, rocky 'super-Earth' has been found orbiting&nbsp;one of the oldest stars in the Milky Way by astronomers.

The study accepted for publication&nbsp;in the Astronomical Journal was presented to the American Astronomical Society.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/a-galaxy-caught-dying-astronomers-capture-distant-galaxy-losing-its-ability-to-form-stars-356205" hreflang="en">A galaxy caught dying? Astronomers capture distant galaxy losing its ability to form stars</a>

Known as TOI-561b, the exoplanet is one of the oldest and most-metal poor planetary systems discovered yet in the Milky Way. It the first rocky world around a galactic thick-disk star confirmed with thermal emissions.

The bright star hosts three transitory planets discovered by NASA's&nbsp;Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, which was launched in 2018 to&nbsp;hunt for planets around some of the closest and brightest stars".

The study's co-author and an astrophysicist at the University of California&nbsp;Stephen Kane said: “For every day you’re on Earth, this planet orbits its star twice.”

The planet has three times the mass of Earth but the same density as our planet. To confirm their findings the astronomers used&nbsp;W. M. Keck Observatory High-Resolution Echelle Spectrometer.

“This is surprising because you’d expect the density to be higher,” Kane said. “This is consistent with the notion that the planet is extremely old.”

The super-Earth's proximity to host enables an above-average surface temperature on the planet exceeding 3,140&nbsp;Fahrenheit.

As per the lead author of the study&nbsp;Lauren Weiss, "Its existence shows that the universe has been forming rocky planets almost since its inception 14 billion years ago."

"This planet formed at a time when the majority of stars in our galaxy were first beginning to shine," Weiss said at the conference on Monday.

TOI-561b's low density suggests that it has relatively few elements and is therefore 10 billion years old.

"Information about a planet's interior gives us a sense of whether the surface of the planet is habitable by life as we know it," Kane said. "Though this particular planet is unlikely to be inhabited today, it may be a harbinger of many rocky worlds yet to be discovered around our galaxy's oldest stars."

An unusually hot, rocky 'super-Earth' has been found orbiting one of the oldest stars in the Milky Way by astronomers. The study accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal was presented to the American Astronomical Society.

An unusually hot, rocky 'super-Earth' has been found orbiting one of the oldest stars in the Milky Way by astronomers. The study accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal was presented to the American Astronomical Society. Also read: A galaxy caught dying? Astronomers capture distant galaxy losing its ability to form stars Known as TOI-561b, the exoplanet is one of the oldest and most-metal poor planetary systems discovered yet in the Milky Way. It the first rocky world around a galactic thick-disk star confirmed with thermal emissions. The bright star hosts three transitory planets discovered by NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, which was launched in 2018 to hunt for planets around some of the closest and brightest stars". The study's co-author and an astrophysicist at the University of California Stephen Kane said: “For every day you’re on Earth, this planet orbits its star twice.” The planet has three times the mass of Earth but the same density as our planet. To confirm their findings the astronomers used W. M. Keck Observatory High-Resolution Echelle Spectrometer. “This is surprising because you’d expect the density to be higher,” Kane said. “This is consistent with the notion that the planet is extremely old.” The super-Earth's proximity to host enables an above-average surface temperature on the planet exceeding 3,140 Fahrenheit. As per the lead author of the study Lauren Weiss, "Its existence shows that the universe has been forming rocky planets almost since its inception 14 billion years ago." "This planet formed at a time when the majority of stars in our galaxy were first beginning to shine," Weiss said at the conference on Monday. TOI-561b's low density suggests that it has relatively few elements and is therefore 10 billion years old. "Information about a planet's interior gives us a sense of whether the surface of the planet is habitable by life as we know it," Kane said. "Though this particular planet is unlikely to be inhabited today, it may be a harbinger of many rocky worlds yet to be discovered around our galaxy's oldest stars."

Unusually hot 'super-Earth' planet spotted orbiting one of the oldest stars in the Milky Way

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Tuesday captured the 'magnetic&nbsp;fingerprint' of a galaxy across&nbsp;24,000 light-years.

The mesmerising image depicts magnetic fields in galaxy NGC 1068&nbsp;or M77,&nbsp;streamlining&nbsp;over visible light and X-ray composite image of the galaxy from the&nbsp;Hubble Space Telescope,&nbsp;NuSTAR&nbsp;or the Nuclear Spectroscopic Array, and the&nbsp;Sloan Digital Sky Survey.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/molten-ring-nasa-captures-the-largest-einstein-rings-of-the-universe-352969" hreflang="en">'Molten ring': NASA captures the largest Einstein rings of the universe</a>

NGC 1068 appears to have a complex inner structure.&nbsp;This galaxy is basically analogous to NGC 4736 (M94) showing a strikingly similar overall morphology.&nbsp;The extended outer disk shows signs of interaction and misalignment, probably a result of a recent bombardment.

The magnetic fields aligned along the entire length of the massive spiral arms,&nbsp;24,000 light-years across (0.8 kiloparsecs)&nbsp;implying that the gravitational forces that created the galaxy’s shape are also compressing its magnetic field.

This supports the leading theory of how the spiral arms are forced into their iconic shape known as “density wave theory.”&nbsp;

The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA),&nbsp;studied the galaxy using far-infrared light (89 microns) to reveal facets of its magnetic fields than previous observations using visible and radio telescopes could not detect.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Tuesday captured the 'magnetic fingerprint' of a galaxy across 24,000 light-years. The mesmerising image depicts magnetic fields in galaxy NGC 1068 or M77, streamlining over visible light and X-ray composite image of the galaxy from the Hubble Space Telescope, NuSTAR or the Nuclear Spectroscopic Array, and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Tuesday captured the 'magnetic fingerprint' of a galaxy across 24,000 light-years. The mesmerising image depicts magnetic fields in galaxy NGC 1068 or M77, streamlining over visible light and X-ray composite image of the galaxy from the Hubble Space Telescope, NuSTAR or the Nuclear Spectroscopic Array, and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Also read: 'Molten ring': NASA captures the largest Einstein rings of the universe NGC 1068 appears to have a complex inner structure. This galaxy is basically analogous to NGC 4736 (M94) showing a strikingly similar overall morphology. The extended outer disk shows signs of interaction and misalignment, probably a result of a recent bombardment. The magnetic fields aligned along the entire length of the massive spiral arms, 24,000 light-years across (0.8 kiloparsecs) implying that the gravitational forces that created the galaxy’s shape are also compressing its magnetic field. This supports the leading theory of how the spiral arms are forced into their iconic shape known as “density wave theory.” The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), studied the galaxy using far-infrared light (89 microns) to reveal facets of its magnetic fields than previous observations using visible and radio telescopes could not detect.

NASA captures 'magnetic fingerprint' of a galaxy across 24,000 light years

British astrologists have made another guide of the Milky Way comprised of almost two billion stars utilizing information assembled by the European Space Agency (ESA) Gaia space observatory.&nbsp;

College of Cambridge specialists drove the production of the infinite chartbook of two billion stars, that they accept could reveal insight into how our system appeared and what may befall it in the inaccessible future.&nbsp;

The detailed map of the Milky Way galaxy is based on the most recent data released by the ESA Gaia mission - which has two satellites 930,000 miles from Earth measuring the distance to and between stellar objects throughout the galaxy

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The guide and going with information will permit stargazers to increase a more profound comprehension of our own cosmic system, how stars are spread out, and even distinguish stars that are like our own Sun for additional, more detailed study.

The most recent delivery from the Gaia observatory is the most point by point actually inventory of the stars in the Milky Way - the last arrangement of distributed information remembered subtleties for 1.6 billion stars, this brings that up to two billion and in more detail.&nbsp;

It additionally remembers data for our satellite cosmic systems - the Large and Small Magellanic mists and the extension of stars that interface the two assortments of heavenly bodies.&nbsp;

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In picture:&nbsp;Artist's impression of Gaia mapping the stars of the Milky Way

Floor van Leeuwen, who drove the 3D guide venture at Cambridge, said this device will get one of the significant spines of current astronomy, furnishing researchers with better approaches to consider our system in detail.&nbsp;

This was one of various papers distributed utilising an early arrival of the new information, made accessible to a determination of specialists before the more extensive public delivery on December 3.&nbsp;

These specialists utilized the Gaia information to give a colossal expansion to the statistics of close by stars, infer the state of the Solar System's circle around the focal point of the world, and test structures in two close-by universes.&nbsp;

Dispatched in 2013, the Gaia satellite works at the purported Lagrange 2 (L2) point - a gravitationally steady spot in the Sun-Earth framework and measures the position and brilliance of stars, alongside their sizes and shading.&nbsp;

The essential goal of Gaia is to gauge heavenly distances utilizing the parallax strategy. For this situation cosmologists utilize the observatory to persistently filter the sky, estimating the obvious change in the places of stars over the long run, coming about because of the Earth's development around the Sun.&nbsp;

The Gaia information will likewise permit stargazers to quantify the mass of the Milky Way by examining the 'delicate' speeding up of the close planetary system as it circles around the universe, as per the European Space Agency.&nbsp;

Two past deliveries incorporated the places of 1.6 billion stars. This delivery carries the complete to just shy of 2 billion stars, whose positions are altogether more exact than in the previous information.&nbsp;

Gaia additionally tracks the changing brilliance and places of the stars after some time over the view (their alleged legitimate movement), and by parting their light into spectra, quantifies how quickly they are moving towards or away from the Sun and surveys their synthetic organization.&nbsp;

It is believed that, longer than a year, the Sun quickens towards the focal point of the cosmic system by 7mm every second, while circling at a speed of around 124 miles (200 km) a second.&nbsp;

One investigation utilizing the information watched out, away from the focal point of the Milky Way to follow the different populaces of more established and more youthful stars towards the very edge of our universe - the anticentre.&nbsp;

PC models anticipated that the plate of the Milky Way will become bigger with time as new stars are conceived.&nbsp;

'The new information permits us to see the relics of the 10 billion-year-old plate thus decide its more modest degree contrasted with the Milky Way's present circle size,' ESA composed.&nbsp;

Stargazers will likewise have the option to deconstruct the two biggest partner worlds to the Milky Way - the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds - utilizing the information from Gaia.&nbsp;

The two systems are associated with a scaffold of stars thought to be 75,000 light-years long, as indicated by analysts inspecting the new information.&nbsp;

Having estimated the development of the Large Magellanic Cloud's stars to more noteworthy exactness than previously, Gaia's most recent information plainly shows that the world has a twisting structure - simply like the Milky Way.&nbsp;

The information likewise uncovered a weak stream of stars that is being pulled out of the Small Magellanic Cloud and indicates already concealed structures in the edges of the two systems.&nbsp;

Caroline Harper, head of room science at the UK Space Agency, which gave the financing to the exploration, said Gaia has taken into account the making of the most itemized billion-star 3D map book ever amassed.&nbsp;

'For a great many years, we have been engrossed with noticing and enumerating the stars and their exact areas as they extended humankind's comprehension of our universe,' Harper said.&nbsp;

'Gaia has been gazing at the sky for as long as seven years, planning the positions and speeds of stars.'&nbsp;

The information will likewise incorporate 'outstandingly precise' estimations of the 300,000 stars that are generally near the Sun, inside a distance of 326 light years.&nbsp;

The scientists plan to utilize the data to get familiar with the destiny of the Milky Way by anticipating how the world will change in the following 1.6 million years.&nbsp;

British astrologists have made another guide of the Milky Way comprised of almost two billion stars utilizing information assembled by the European Space Agency (ESA) Gaia space observatory.

British astrologists have made another guide of the Milky Way comprised of almost two billion stars utilizing information assembled by the European Space Agency (ESA) Gaia space observatory. College of Cambridge specialists drove the production of the infinite chartbook of two billion stars, that they accept could reveal insight into how our system appeared and what may befall it in the inaccessible future. The detailed map of the Milky Way galaxy is based on the most recent data released by the ESA Gaia mission - which has two satellites 930,000 miles from Earth measuring the distance to and between stellar objects throughout the galaxy The guide and going with information will permit stargazers to increase a more profound comprehension of our own cosmic system, how stars are spread out, and even distinguish stars that are like our own Sun for additional, more detailed study. The most recent delivery from the Gaia observatory is the most point by point actually inventory of the stars in the Milky Way - the last arrangement of distributed information remembered subtleties for 1.6 billion stars, this brings that up to two billion and in more detail. It additionally remembers data for our satellite cosmic systems - the Large and Small Magellanic mists and the extension of stars that interface the two assortments of heavenly bodies. In picture: Artist's impression of Gaia mapping the stars of the Milky Way Floor van Leeuwen, who drove the 3D guide venture at Cambridge, said this device will get one of the significant spines of current astronomy, furnishing researchers with better approaches to consider our system in detail. This was one of various papers distributed utilising an early arrival of the new information, made accessible to a determination of specialists before the more extensive public delivery on December 3. These specialists utilized the Gaia information to give a colossal expansion to the statistics of close by stars, infer the state of the Solar System's circle around the focal point of the world, and test structures in two close-by universes. Dispatched in 2013, the Gaia satellite works at the purported Lagrange 2 (L2) point - a gravitationally steady spot in the Sun-Earth framework and measures the position and brilliance of stars, alongside their sizes and shading. The essential goal of Gaia is to gauge heavenly distances utilizing the parallax strategy. For this situation cosmologists utilize the observatory to persistently filter the sky, estimating the obvious change in the places of stars over the long run, coming about because of the Earth's development around the Sun. The Gaia information will likewise permit stargazers to quantify the mass of the Milky Way by examining the 'delicate' speeding up of the close planetary system as it circles around the universe, as per the European Space Agency. Two past deliveries incorporated the places of 1.6 billion stars. This delivery carries the complete to just shy of 2 billion stars, whose positions are altogether more exact than in the previous information. Gaia additionally tracks the changing brilliance and places of the stars after some time over the view (their alleged legitimate movement), and by parting their light into spectra, quantifies how quickly they are moving towards or away from the Sun and surveys their synthetic organization. It is believed that, longer than a year, the Sun quickens towards the focal point of the cosmic system by 7mm every second, while circling at a speed of around 124 miles (200 km) a second. One investigation utilizing the information watched out, away from the focal point of the Milky Way to follow the different populaces of more established and more youthful stars towards the very edge of our universe - the anticentre. PC models anticipated that the plate of the Milky Way will become bigger with time as new stars are conceived. 'The new information permits us to see the relics of the 10 billion-year-old plate thus decide its more modest degree contrasted with the Milky Way's present circle size,' ESA composed. Stargazers will likewise have the option to deconstruct the two biggest partner worlds to the Milky Way - the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds - utilizing the information from Gaia. The two systems are associated with a scaffold of stars thought to be 75,000 light-years long, as indicated by analysts inspecting the new information. Having estimated the development of the Large Magellanic Cloud's stars to more noteworthy exactness than previously, Gaia's most recent information plainly shows that the world has a twisting structure - simply like the Milky Way. The information likewise uncovered a weak stream of stars that is being pulled out of the Small Magellanic Cloud and indicates already concealed structures in the edges of the two systems. Caroline Harper, head of room science at the UK Space Agency, which gave the financing to the exploration, said Gaia has taken into account the making of the most itemized billion-star 3D map book ever amassed. 'For a great many years, we have been engrossed with noticing and enumerating the stars and their exact areas as they extended humankind's comprehension of our universe,' Harper said. 'Gaia has been gazing at the sky for as long as seven years, planning the positions and speeds of stars.' The information will likewise incorporate 'outstandingly precise' estimations of the 300,000 stars that are generally near the Sun, inside a distance of 326 light years. The scientists plan to utilize the data to get familiar with the destiny of the Milky Way by anticipating how the world will change in the following 1.6 million years.

British astronomers unveil the most detailed map of Milky Way galaxy

The experts at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia's&nbsp;national science agency, have created a&nbsp;new atlas of the universe.

Experts at the agency have&nbsp;mapped three million galaxies with more details and in a&nbsp;record time of 300 hours, in comparison to previous mappings which have taken years.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/indian-isro-satellite-flew-dangerously-close-to-russian-sat-says-roscosmos-346068" hreflang="en">Indian ISRO satellite flew dangerously close to Russian sat, says Roscosmos</a>

The report claims the scientists at the agency were able to create a new atlas of the universe with almost three million galaxies in forms of pictures revealing twice the detail of the previous images. The data around this new discovery is publically available and can help fellow scientists to study "everything from star formation to how galaxies and their super-massive black hole evolve and interact," the lead author Dr David McConnell said.

"We expect to find tens of millions of new galaxies in future surveys," he added.

This has been possible due to the&nbsp;Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (Askap) which is a collection of 36 dish antennas that work in coordination to capture panoramic views of the sky.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/artificial-intelligence-solves-50-year-old-science-problem-346585" hreflang="en">Artificial intelligence solves 50-year-old science problem</a>

Spread across an area of 6km&nbsp;(3.7 miles)&nbsp;at the CSIRO's Murchison observatory about 700km north of Perth (Australia),&nbsp;this telescope combines signals from the smaller dishes and then creates&nbsp;high-resolution images for the scientists to study. The whole process is, however, costing a fraction of what a large dish usually costs, CSIRO claimed.

For the first time, Askap conducted an&nbsp;all-sky survey and covered 83 per cent of the sky. Using the technology, scientists were able to combine&nbsp;903 high-resolution and&nbsp;detailed images. The scientists hope to find answers to the structuring and evolution of the Earth.

The experts at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia's national science agency, have created a new atlas of the universe.

The experts at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia's national science agency, have created a new atlas of the universe. Experts at the agency have mapped three million galaxies with more details and in a record time of 300 hours, in comparison to previous mappings which have taken years. Also read| Indian ISRO satellite flew dangerously close to Russian sat, says Roscosmos The report claims the scientists at the agency were able to create a new atlas of the universe with almost three million galaxies in forms of pictures revealing twice the detail of the previous images. The data around this new discovery is publically available and can help fellow scientists to study "everything from star formation to how galaxies and their super-massive black hole evolve and interact," the lead author Dr David McConnell said. "We expect to find tens of millions of new galaxies in future surveys," he added. This has been possible due to the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (Askap) which is a collection of 36 dish antennas that work in coordination to capture panoramic views of the sky. Also read| Artificial intelligence solves 50-year-old science problem Spread across an area of 6km (3.7 miles) at the CSIRO's Murchison observatory about 700km north of Perth (Australia), this telescope combines signals from the smaller dishes and then creates high-resolution images for the scientists to study. The whole process is, however, costing a fraction of what a large dish usually costs, CSIRO claimed. For the first time, Askap conducted an all-sky survey and covered 83 per cent of the sky. Using the technology, scientists were able to combine 903 high-resolution and detailed images. The scientists hope to find answers to the structuring and evolution of the Earth.

Australian scientists create 'a new atlas' by mapping millions of galaxies

Stars have an expiry date and die out like all entities in the universe. Everything in the universe, including our sun will become non-functional at one point in the future.

When they die, they go out with a large explosion which is called a “supernova”. Stars usually collapse due to the weight of gravity when they run out of fuel, which produces a strong explosion. Additionally, some stars simply morph into a black hole. These are the two ways for stars to go out.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/not-a-dormant-planet-venus-is-home-to-37-recently-active-volcanic-structures-314808" hreflang="en">Not a dormant planet: Venus is home to 37 recently active volcanic structures!</a>

Most stars, after completing their life cycle simply become white dwarfs, which refers to the core of what once used to be a star. Astronomers claim that the core material is the key ingredient in all living forms.

"INTEGRAL discovery of a burst with associated radio emission from the magnetar SGR 1935+2154”, which studied and recorded this data, by S Mereghetti et al was recently published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Dead light?

Recently, a collaboration of telescope based research across the globe found that a dead star is emitting an unusual combination of radiation in the Milky Way galaxy. This has never been witnessed before.

<h6><img alt="This NASA artist's animation obtained April 10, 2013 depicts an ultra-dense dead star, called a white dwarf, passing in front of a small red star. As the white dwarf crosses in front, its gravity is so great that it bends and magnifies the light of the red star. NASA's planet-hunting Kepler space telescope was able to detect this effect, called gravitational lensing, not through direct imaging, but by measuring a strangely subtle dip in the star's brightness. The red dwarf star is cooler and redder than our yellow sun. Its companion is a white dwarf, the burnt-out core of a star that used to be like our sun. Though the white dwarf is about the same diameter as Earth, 40 times smaller than the red dwarf, it is slightly more massive. The two objects circle around each other, but because the red dwarf is a bit less massive, it technically orbits the white dwarf. Kepler is designed to look for planets by monitoring the brightness of stars. If planets cross in front of the stars, the starlight will periodically dip. In this case, the passing object turned out to be a white dwarf not a planet. The finding was serendipitous for astronomers because it allowed them to measure the tiny &quot;gravitational lensing&quot; effect of the white dwarf, a rarely observed phenomenon and a test of Einstein's theory of relativity. These data also helped to precisely measure the white dwarf's mass" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3edef3c1-2386-478b-8781-aa84d5f41184" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design-12.jpg" /> 
This NASA artist's animation obtained April 10, 2013 depicts an ultra-dense dead star, called a white dwarf, passing in front of a small red star. As the white dwarf crosses in front, its gravity is so great that it bends and magnifies the light of the red star. NASA's planet-hunting Kepler space telescope was able to detect this effect, called gravitational lensing, not through direct imaging, but by measuring a strangely subtle dip in the star's brightness. The red dwarf star is cooler and redder than our yellow sun. Its companion is a white dwarf, the burnt-out core of a star that used to be like our sun. Though the white dwarf is about the same diameter as Earth, 40 times smaller than the red dwarf, it is slightly more massive. The two objects circle around each other, but because the red dwarf is a bit less massive, it technically orbits the white dwarf. Kepler is designed to look for planets by monitoring the brightness of stars. If planets cross in front of the stars, the starlight will periodically dip. In this case, the passing object turned out to be a white dwarf not a planet. The finding was serendipitous for astronomers because it allowed them to measure the tiny "gravitational lensing" effect of the white dwarf, a rarely observed phenomenon and a test of Einstein's theory of relativity. These data also helped to precisely measure the white dwarf's mass. | AFP/NASA 
&nbsp;</h6>

The radiation involves two phenomena: magnetars and Fast Radio Bursts. The former refers to remains of stars which is home to the world’s most intense magnetic fields. Once active, the magnetars emit radiation harbouring high amounts of energy, which mostly last shorter than a second but produce more light than our sun!

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/earths-magnetic-poles-may-be-flipping-by-10deg-each-year-way-more-than-previously-thought-312931" hreflang="en">Earth's magnetic poles may be flipping by 10° each year, way more than previously thought!</a>

Fast Radio Bursts refers to waves that appear and disappear. These mostly last for lesser than a few milliseconds. These were first discovered in 2007. After disappearing, these are barely spotted again.

Until now, no such burst was detected in our galaxy!

In the month of April, scientists discovered something uncanny. A magnetar which was already logged six years ago suddenly showed signs of activity again. Its official name is “SGR 1935+2154”. However, as opposed to a usual magnetar, it was emitting radio waves alongside x-rays.

In essence, this may hold answers to the unsolved mysteries of magnetars and FRBs. Until this year, radio waves never emerged from a magnetar, or at least not on record.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/we-all-come-from-star-dust-is-no-longer-just-a-saying-and-scientists-agree-311418" hreflang="en">'We all come from star dust' is no longer just a saying, and scientists agree!</a>

The finding was confirmed across different space stations on the globe. This serves as the first basis for any scientific link between magnetars and FRBs, which were earlier seen as separate entities.

Scientists had, for a long time suspected that Fast Radio Bursts emerge from magnetars, which are also likely to be responsible for explosions that emit a large amount of light.

Stars have an expiry date and die out like all entities in the universe. Everything in the universe, including our sun will become non-functional at one point in the future.

Stars have an expiry date and die out like all entities in the universe. Everything in the universe, including our sun will become non-functional at one point in the future. When they die, they go out with a large explosion which is called a “supernova”. Stars usually collapse due to the weight of gravity when they run out of fuel, which produces a strong explosion. Additionally, some stars simply morph into a black hole. These are the two ways for stars to go out. Also read: Not a dormant planet: Venus is home to 37 recently active volcanic structures! Most stars, after completing their life cycle simply become white dwarfs, which refers to the core of what once used to be a star. Astronomers claim that the core material is the key ingredient in all living forms. "INTEGRAL discovery of a burst with associated radio emission from the magnetar SGR 1935+2154”, which studied and recorded this data, by S Mereghetti et al was recently published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. Dead light? Recently, a collaboration of telescope based research across the globe found that a dead star is emitting an unusual combination of radiation in the Milky Way galaxy. This has never been witnessed before. This NASA artist's animation obtained April 10, 2013 depicts an ultra-dense dead star, called a white dwarf, passing in front of a small red star. As the white dwarf crosses in front, its gravity is so great that it bends and magnifies the light of the red star. NASA's planet-hunting Kepler space telescope was able to detect this effect, called gravitational lensing, not through direct imaging, but by measuring a strangely subtle dip in the star's brightness. The red dwarf star is cooler and redder than our yellow sun. Its companion is a white dwarf, the burnt-out core of a star that used to be like our sun. Though the white dwarf is about the same diameter as Earth, 40 times smaller than the red dwarf, it is slightly more massive. The two objects circle around each other, but because the red dwarf is a bit less massive, it technically orbits the white dwarf. Kepler is designed to look for planets by monitoring the brightness of stars. If planets cross in front of the stars, the starlight will periodically dip. In this case, the passing object turned out to be a white dwarf not a planet. The finding was serendipitous for astronomers because it allowed them to measure the tiny "gravitational lensing" effect of the white dwarf, a rarely observed phenomenon and a test of Einstein's theory of relativity. These data also helped to precisely measure the white dwarf's mass. | AFP/NASA The radiation involves two phenomena: magnetars and Fast Radio Bursts. The former refers to remains of stars which is home to the world’s most intense magnetic fields. Once active, the magnetars emit radiation harbouring high amounts of energy, which mostly last shorter than a second but produce more light than our sun! Also read: Earth's magnetic poles may be flipping by 10° each year, way more than previously thought! Fast Radio Bursts refers to waves that appear and disappear. These mostly last for lesser than a few milliseconds. These were first discovered in 2007. After disappearing, these are barely spotted again. Until now, no such burst was detected in our galaxy! In the month of April, scientists discovered something uncanny. A magnetar which was already logged six years ago suddenly showed signs of activity again. Its official name is “SGR 1935+2154”. However, as opposed to a usual magnetar, it was emitting radio waves alongside x-rays. In essence, this may hold answers to the unsolved mysteries of magnetars and FRBs. Until this year, radio waves never emerged from a magnetar, or at least not on record. Also read: 'We all come from star dust' is no longer just a saying, and scientists agree! The finding was confirmed across different space stations on the globe. This serves as the first basis for any scientific link between magnetars and FRBs, which were earlier seen as separate entities. Scientists had, for a long time suspected that Fast Radio Bursts emerge from magnetars, which are also likely to be responsible for explosions that emit a large amount of light.

A dead star in our galaxy is emitting radiation never witnessed before!

A study published on Monday in The Astrophysical Journal stated that there could be a minimum of 36 active, communicating intelligent civilizations in our Milky Way. But due to time and distance, we may never know if they existed ever existed.

Scientists have made calculations based on Drake equation, written by astronomer and astrophysicist Frank Drake in 1961.

"Drake developed an equation which in principle can be used to calculate how many Communicating Extra-Terrestrial Intelligent (CETI) civilizations there may be in the Galaxy," the authors wrote in their study. "However, many of its terms are unknowable and other methods must be used to calculate the likely number of communicating civilizations."

Therefore the scientists at the University of Nottingham developed their approach.

In an&nbsp;email to CNN, study co-author Christopher Conselice, a professor of astrophysics at the University of Nottingham said: "The key difference between our calculation and previous ones based on the Drake equation is that we make very simple assumptions about how life developed."

"One of them is that life forms in a scientific way — that is if the right conditions are met then life will form. This avoids impossible to answer questions such as 'what fraction of planets in a habitable zone of a star will form life?' and 'what fraction of life will evolve into intelligent life?' as these are not answerable until we actually detect life, which we have not yet done," he added.

These scientists developed the Astrobiological Copernican Principle to establish weak and strong limits on life in the galaxy. According to scientists, these equations include how the stars are formed in the galaxy and its age. It also determines the metal content of the stars and whether the celestial body could host habitable planets like Earth.

Co-author Tom Westby, an assistant professor in the University of Nottingham's faculty of engineering, released a statement which said: "The two Astrobiological Copernican limits are that intelligent life forms in less than 5 billion years, or after about 5 billion years — similar to on Earth where a communicating civilization formed after 4.5 billion years."

"It is called the Astrobiological Copernican Principle because it assumes that our existence is not special," Conselice said. "That is if the conditions in which intelligent life on Earth also developed somewhere else in the Galaxy then intelligent life would develop there in a similar way."

The estimation of at least 36 civilizations is the most conservative lower limit using the strictest set of assumptions—namely that communicating civilizations only survive for 100 years.

However, the authors note that the average distance to one of these 36 civilizations is around 17,000 light-years, so detection and communication is currently impossible.

There’s also the thorny question of how long intelligent civilizations tend to survive.

"Searches for extra-terrestrial intelligent civilizations not only reveals the existence of how life itself forms but also gives us clues about how long our civilization will last," said Christopher Conselice, Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Nottingham, who led the research.

"If we find that intelligent life is common then this would reveal that our civilization could exist for much longer than a few hundred years." 
&nbsp; 
"Alternatively, if we find that there are no active civilizations in our galaxy it is a bad sign for our long-term existence."

A study published on Monday in The Astrophysical Journal stated that there could be a minimum of 36 active, communicating intelligent civilizations in our Milky Way.

A study published on Monday in The Astrophysical Journal stated that there could be a minimum of 36 active, communicating intelligent civilizations in our Milky Way. But due to time and distance, we may never know if they existed ever existed. Scientists have made calculations based on Drake equation, written by astronomer and astrophysicist Frank Drake in 1961. "Drake developed an equation which in principle can be used to calculate how many Communicating Extra-Terrestrial Intelligent (CETI) civilizations there may be in the Galaxy," the authors wrote in their study. "However, many of its terms are unknowable and other methods must be used to calculate the likely number of communicating civilizations." Therefore the scientists at the University of Nottingham developed their approach. In an email to CNN, study co-author Christopher Conselice, a professor of astrophysics at the University of Nottingham said: "The key difference between our calculation and previous ones based on the Drake equation is that we make very simple assumptions about how life developed." "One of them is that life forms in a scientific way — that is if the right conditions are met then life will form. This avoids impossible to answer questions such as 'what fraction of planets in a habitable zone of a star will form life?' and 'what fraction of life will evolve into intelligent life?' as these are not answerable until we actually detect life, which we have not yet done," he added. These scientists developed the Astrobiological Copernican Principle to establish weak and strong limits on life in the galaxy. According to scientists, these equations include how the stars are formed in the galaxy and its age. It also determines the metal content of the stars and whether the celestial body could host habitable planets like Earth. Co-author Tom Westby, an assistant professor in the University of Nottingham's faculty of engineering, released a statement which said: "The two Astrobiological Copernican limits are that intelligent life forms in less than 5 billion years, or after about 5 billion years — similar to on Earth where a communicating civilization formed after 4.5 billion years." "It is called the Astrobiological Copernican Principle because it assumes that our existence is not special," Conselice said. "That is if the conditions in which intelligent life on Earth also developed somewhere else in the Galaxy then intelligent life would develop there in a similar way." The estimation of at least 36 civilizations is the most conservative lower limit using the strictest set of assumptions—namely that communicating civilizations only survive for 100 years. However, the authors note that the average distance to one of these 36 civilizations is around 17,000 light-years, so detection and communication is currently impossible. There’s also the thorny question of how long intelligent civilizations tend to survive. "Searches for extra-terrestrial intelligent civilizations not only reveals the existence of how life itself forms but also gives us clues about how long our civilization will last," said Christopher Conselice, Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Nottingham, who led the research. "If we find that intelligent life is common then this would reveal that our civilization could exist for much longer than a few hundred years." "Alternatively, if we find that there are no active civilizations in our galaxy it is a bad sign for our long-term existence."

There are minimum of 36 active, communicating intelligent civilizations in Milky Way: Study

Scientists studying a distant galaxy cluster have discovered the biggest explosion seen in the Universe since the Big Bang.&nbsp;

The blast came from a supermassive black hole at the centre of a galaxy hundreds of millions of light-years away.&nbsp;

Researchers reported their findings in The Astrophysical Journal.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hubble-space-telescope-set-to-peer-at-earliest-galaxies-nasa-165963">Hubble Space Telescope set to peer at earliest galaxies: NASA</a>

It released five times more energy than MS 0135+74, once known as the largest and most powerful explosion.

The current explosion occurred in the Ophiuchus galaxy cluster, about 390 million light-years from Earth.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/first-black-hole-photo-confirms-einsteins-theory-of-relativity-209527">First black hole photo confirms Einstein’s theory of relativity</a>

It was so powerful it punched a cavity in the cluster plasma, the super-hot gas surrounding the black hole.

Lead author of the study Dr Simona Giacintucci, from the Naval Research Laboratory in the United States, said the blast was similar to the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, which ripped the top off the mountain.

"The difference is that you could fit 15 Milky Way galaxies in a row into the crater this eruption punched into the cluster's hot gas," she said. 
Astronomers made the observation using ground and space-based telescopes, including NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton X-ray space observatory, Australia's Murchison Widefield Array and the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope in India.

Scientists studying a distant galaxy cluster have discovered the biggest explosion seen in the Universe since the Big Bang. The blast came from a supermassive black hole at the centre of a galaxy hundreds of millions of light-years away.

Scientists studying a distant galaxy cluster have discovered the biggest explosion seen in the Universe since the Big Bang. The blast came from a supermassive black hole at the centre of a galaxy hundreds of millions of light-years away. Researchers reported their findings in The Astrophysical Journal. Also read: Hubble Space Telescope set to peer at earliest galaxies: NASA It released five times more energy than MS 0135+74, once known as the largest and most powerful explosion. The current explosion occurred in the Ophiuchus galaxy cluster, about 390 million light-years from Earth. Also read: First black hole photo confirms Einstein’s theory of relativity It was so powerful it punched a cavity in the cluster plasma, the super-hot gas surrounding the black hole. Lead author of the study Dr Simona Giacintucci, from the Naval Research Laboratory in the United States, said the blast was similar to the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, which ripped the top off the mountain. "The difference is that you could fit 15 Milky Way galaxies in a row into the crater this eruption punched into the cluster's hot gas," she said. Astronomers made the observation using ground and space-based telescopes, including NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton X-ray space observatory, Australia's Murchison Widefield Array and the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope in India.

Biggest explosion in universe's history detected by telescopes

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