In the depths of the universe and space, beyond the reach of everyday human life, there is a scene that defies ordinary understanding, revealing once again the vastness and wonder of the universe we inhabit. This scene, due to its richness of color and dynamic composition, could at first glance be mistaken for a piece of abstract art, but is actually a window into the heart of our own galaxy, the Milky Way. This discovery in space, the fruit of the dedication and passion of a team of American astrophysicists, takes us into an imaginary realm beyond the confines of our solar system.
On a scientific odyssey to unlock the secrets of the universe, these scientists stumble upon an astonishing array of structures at the center of the Milky Way. The existence of magnetic filaments suspended in the cosmic void was known; however, Recent research A new population of these structures has been brought to light, revealing their orientation toward the galactic bulge.
What distinguishes these new discoveries in space in our Milky Way from structures previously identified by Northwestern University astrophysicist Farhad Youssef-Sadeh in the 1980s is their arrangement and size. While the ancient ones were arranged vertically, like the giant celestial stalactites hanging near the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* at the center of our galaxy, the newly discovered filaments extend horizontally, radiating from the galactic center like the spokes of a bicycle. himself.
These new elements, though small, show a panorama in space reminiscent of the dots and dashes of Morse code, drawing a star puzzle around one side of Sagittarius A*. Yusef-Zadeh's team encountered a surprising discovery, a new population of structures headed toward the galaxy's central abyss, which, in Northwestern University's words, represented a moment of scientific wonder and revelation.
The mystery in space of our Milky Way
When Yusef-Zadeh, the leader of the study, saw these systems for the first time, the surprise of our Milky Way was huge. The sophistication of their scientific work allowed them to establish the reliability of their discovery that these patterns were not random, but appeared to be intrinsically linked to the dynamics of the central black hole.
This advance promises not only to add a new chapter to the study of the universe in space, but also to deepen our understanding of the rotation of the black hole and the orientation of its accretion disk, providing an unmistakable order in the complexity of the galactic nucleus. .
Located about 25,000 light-years from Earth, the center of our Milky Way galaxy in space has been the subject of Youssef-Zadeh's study for four decades. After years of researching vertical filaments, the discovery of their horizontal counterparts, some 6 million years old, marked a milestone in his career.
“It was surprising to suddenly find a new population of structures that seem to point in the direction of the black hole,” Youssef-Zadeh admits. “I was actually stunned when I saw them. We had to work hard to make sure we weren't fooling ourselves. We discovered that these filaments are not random, but appear to be related to the outflow of our black hole. “By studying them, we can learn more about the black hole's spin and the orientation of the accretion disk. “It's satisfying to find order in the midst of a chaotic field at the heart of our galaxy.”
New and old filaments in our Milky Way galaxy in space share one-dimensional and visible properties through radio waves associated with events in the galactic heart. However, they differ in orientation, size and nature. Vertical filaments, which can extend up to 150 light-years, contrast with horizontal filaments, which are only five to ten light-years long. The former is perpendicular to the galactic plane, the latter is aligned parallel, towards the galactic center.
These discoveries are attributed to advanced space-based radio astronomy technologies, particularly the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory's Meerkat telescope, underscoring the impact of technological innovation on space exploration.
