Astronomers982 Archivesspotted a pair of exotic features believed to be the aftermath of a colossal cosmic smackdown — not between two galaxies, but two groupsof galaxies.
These glowing arcs of radio energy are known as "radio relics," faint clouds resulting from powerful shockwaves surging through hot gas that fills the spaceamid a galaxy cluster.
The cluster, PSZ2 G181.06+48.47, is some 963 million light-yearsfrom Earth, but its image is less forgettable than its name. Using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope in India and the Very Large Array in New Mexico, a team of researchers spotted the arcs flanking the cluster like giant parentheses. The distance between the punctuation is an estimated 11 million light-years — about 100 times the span of the Milky Way.
That makes their separation a record holder — "the largest known to date," according to a paperpublished on the discovery in The Astrophysical Journal.
SEE ALSO: What cracked the Milky Way's giant cosmic bone? Scientists think they know.
An annotated view of a galaxy cluster reveals a rare pair of radio relics. Credit: Kamlesh Rajpurohit et al / https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/adbbb9 Galaxies are often part of larger collections of galaxies, held together by gravity, according to NASA. These groups and clusters, containing hundreds to thousands of galactic neighborhoods, serve as building blocks for the larger structures of the universe. Clusters are also composed of scorching gas that reaches millions of degrees as well as dark matter, an invisible material that scientists don't yet fully understand.
The team, led by Kamlesh Rajpurohit, an astronomer at the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, thinks the newfound radio relics formed when shock fronts sped through space following two clusters wrecking. These waves can force particles to shine in radio light.
Though these two come as a pair, they're not identical twins. The researchers describe the northernmost glow as brighter and polarized, meaning its light is moving in the same direction. Its companion to the south has a stranger ghostly shape and an energy pattern that may mean it was caused by a more powerful shockwave.
Using an enormous telescope in India and the Very Large Array in New Mexico, pictured above, a team of researchers spotted the arcs flanking the cluster like giant parentheses. Credit: Bettymaya Foott / NRAO / AUI / NSF The relics suggest the entire cluster is in the final throes of a merger set in motion a billion years before.
In the past, astronomers have dubbed clusters fun nicknames based on the shapes of their relics, such as the Toothbrush Cluster. Perhaps in the future this one will leave behind its numerical moniker for something a bit snazzier, like the Eyebrows Cluster or the Air Quotes Cluster. Until that time, you can call it Planck cluster G181+48 for short, Rajpurohit said.
Scientists discovered one other curiosity between the relics: a faint glow at the center of the cluster. This could be a so-called "radio halo," another kind of radio source that emerges when churning gas and particles create turbulence after a violent cosmic crash.
Astronomers have previously detected less than 30 such clusters with relic pairs. But the upcoming Square Kilometre Array being built in South Africa and Australia could be a "game changer," according to the paper's authors.
"There could potentially be many more awaiting discovery in the era of large radio surveys," they said.
UPDATE: May. 7, 2025, 10:55 a.m. EDT This story has been updated to include additional data from the paper's author on the estimated distance of the galaxy cluster from Earth.
Previous：The Mismeasure of Media
Dyson V8 Plus cordless vacuum: $120 off at Amazon
What can hundreds of dead penguins tell us about climate change?
Hillary Clinton's Democratic National Convention will be all about the texts
Tim Cook reportedly behind Apple's family friendly TV shows
NYT Strands hints, answers for May 18
Grammar lovers slam Trump for error
Dad surprises his baseball
This 1979 short story could hint at the ending of 'Game of Thrones'
Today's Hurdle hints and answers for May 5, 2025
'Big Mouth' is the candid conversation about sex you never had
Dyson V8 Plus cordless vacuum: $120 off at Amazon
'Child's Play' creator disavows new 'Chucky' remake with a meme
iPhone XS and XS Max drop test reveals which will crack first
Twitter bug potentially exposed DMs to unauthorized developers for over a year
The Baffler’s May Day Round Up
Try not to wince watching this mascot accidentally shoot himself with a T
20 online resources for sex ed
Tim Cook reportedly behind Apple's family friendly TV shows
How to Settle Down with Dystopia
The best visual jokes you missed from 'Bojack Horseman' Season 5
Covers from Black Mask, a Vintage Pulp Fiction MagMore Drunk Texts from Famous AuthorsCandy CrushThe most heartwarming reunions and hugs postNetflix starts testing video game streamingThe Joys of DancingDoorDash nudges users who don't leave tipsCurb Your EnthusiasmX (aka Twitter) pays users now. Expect engagement bait to rise.X / Twitter lowers the eligibility requirements for creator monetizationHappy Opium Suppression Movement Day!AI bot trolls politicians with how much time they're looking at phonesCandy CrushThe Morning News Roundup for May 22, 2014Twitter is memeing 'The French Dispatch' stars' wildly contrasting Cannes fashionThe Joys of DancingThe Apple Watch is likely getting a major redesign in 2024A Horse Named Paris ReviewX / Twitter lowers the eligibility requirements for creator monetizationWordle today: Here's the answer and hints for August 13 China has 1.079 billion netizens and an internet penetration rate of 76.4% · TechNode NYT's The Mini crossword answers for April 23 Best Echo Show deal: Save on the Echo Show 5 bundle Huawei Mate 60 series may achieve sales of 20 million units · TechNode NYT's The Mini crossword answers for April 20 Leading Chinese AI entrepreneurs held closed How to change your wallpaper on iPhone How to cancel Netflix Furious Watcher fans are blasting it as 'greedy' over paid subscription service These award War Stories Chinese EV maker Hozon appoints CICC and Morgan Stanley for $1 billion Hong Kong IPO · TechNode Manchester City vs. Chelsea 2024 livestream: Watch FA Cup for free 25+ best Earth Day deals 2024: Bite, Lomi, Google, and more Huawei’s net profit in first half of 2023 sees a 218% year Tinder's 'Share My Date' feature lets friends and family keep up with new dates Pick from Amazon Fire and Samsung tablets. Xiaomi's president says its EV manufacturing progress is beating expectations · TechNode Apple confirms May 7 event: We're expecting iPads and 2 other new products What Robert Durst did: Everything to know ahead of 'The Jinx: Part 2'
2.3798s , 10132.125 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【1982 Archives】,Co-creation Information Network