The chemistry at the center of the galaxy has never looked so grand
Astronomers captured this stunning image of the center of the Milky Way, showing the web of gas, dust and stars in extraordinary detail
ALMA(ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/S. Longmore et al. Stars in inset: ESO/D. Minniti et al. Galaxy: ESO/S. guisard
At the heart of the galaxy, there is beauty in the chaos. There, dense clouds of dust and faint filaments of cool molecular gas, the basic material from which stars form, surround the galaxy’s central supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A*. And now a new image reveals that beauty in unprecedented detail.
The image, taken using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), displays our galaxy at “extreme places, invisible to our eyes, but now revealed in extraordinary detail,” said Ashley Barnes, an astronomer at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Germany. statement.
ALMA(ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/S. Longmore et al. Background: ESO/D. Minniti et al.
On supporting science journalism
If you enjoyed this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism Subscribing By purchasing a subscription, you are helping ensure a future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
The image captures an area more than 650 light-years across known as the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ). Lurking inside are gas structures that extend across several dozen light-years and tiny clouds that shroud the stars. Astronomers are particularly interested in the chemistry of this region because its gas becomes the material from which stars grow.
Studying this region of the galaxy could provide clues about how galaxies like ours formed, Steve Longmore, an astrophysicist at Liverpool John Moores University in England, said in the same statement. “We believe this region shares many characteristics with galaxies in the early universe, where stars were forming in chaotic, extreme environments,” said Longmore, who is also part of the team that captured the new observations.
This image, which is the largest image ever taken by ALMA, is part of the ALMA CMZ exploration survey. New data were described in many letters which were posted on preprint server Accepted for publication in arXiv.org and Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
It’s time to stand up for science
If you enjoyed this article, I would like to ask for your support. scientific American He has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most important moment in that two-century history.
i have been one scientific American I’ve been a member since I was 12, and it’s helped shape the way I see the world. Science Always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does the same for you.
if you agree scientific AmericanYou help ensure that our coverage focuses on meaningful research and discovery; We have the resources to report on decisions that put laboratories across America at risk; And that we support both emerging and working scientists at a time when the value of science is too often recognised.
In return, you get the news you need, Captivating podcasts, great infographics, Don’t miss the newsletter, be sure to watch the video, Challenging games, and the best writing and reporting from the world of science. you can even Gift a membership to someone.
There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you will support us in that mission.
