Regardless of how much we like to think that humanity knows how the Universe works, there are still plenty of mysteries out there, even regarding our own Milky Way galaxy. For instance, scientists still cannot explain what’s the deal with the so-called ‘Fermi Bubbles.’ These structures were discovered in 2010 using data provided by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope of NASA.
The Fermi Bubbles are enormous, gamma-ray-emitting cosmic structures extending above and below the center of our galaxy. Their origin and the exact processes that created them remain a huge mystery to scientists.
Speaking of unexplainable phenomena, let’s move on to the recently-discovered cosmic threads!
Hundreds of mysterious cosmic threads exist in our galaxy!
A survey of our Milky Way galaxy has revealed a stunning discovery: hundreds of puzzling cosmic threads extending from the center of the galaxy toward the supermassive black hole, according to The Guardian. These filaments, resembling morse code on a huge scale, stretch across vast distances of five to 10 light years, radiating like fragmented spokes from the galactic core that’s located 25,000 light years away from Earth. Astronomers used the highly sensitive MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa to capture images of the cosmic threads during an unprecedented 200-hour survey of the galactic center.
Just in case you still have any doubts, here’s what Yusef-Zadeh has to say, who works as an astronomer at Northwestern University in Evanston:
These are not going to be the last images of the centre of the galaxy,
Our galaxy is rich in lots of structures that we can’t explain. There’s still a lot to be learned.
Initially, scientists had focused their attention on larger vertical filaments that surround the black hole, but the existence of shorter horizontal filaments, tracing back to the center of our galaxy, went almost unnoticed. The horizontal threads are believed to have formed through a different process, possibly resulting from a past outburst of material from the black hole that collided with surrounding stars and gas clouds. The collision may have created streaks of hot plasma pointing back towards the black hole, reminiscent of paint blown across a canvas with a hairdryer.
The discovery of cosmic threads opens up exciting avenues for further research. Astronomers aim to unravel the mysteries behind the spin of the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole and the accretion disc, the swirling disk of matter falling into it.
