In a discovery that pushes the limits of our cosmic imagination, astronomers have revealed a colossal bridge of gas and stars stretching between galaxies, accompanied by the longest tail ever observed, an intergalactic structure on a scale that rewrites what we know about the Universe.
An international team led by Professor Lister Staveley-Smith at the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research has uncovered an immense structure connecting the galaxies NGC 4532 and DDO 137. The newly mapped bridge spans about 185,000 light-years, while a vast tail of hydrogen gas extends for 1.6 million light-years, the longest of its kind ever observed.
The study, published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, provides fresh insight into how galaxies interact and shed their gas. Modelling suggests that tidal forces between the galaxies, together with their proximity to the massive Virgo cluster, played a decisive role in shaping the system. As the galaxies orbit each other and fall toward the hot gas cloud surrounding the cluster, they experience intense ram pressure that strips and heats their gas over billions of years.
"The process is akin to atmospheric burn-up when a satellite re-enters the Earth’s upper atmosphere, but here it has unfolded over about a billion years," Professor Staveley-Smith explained.
He noted that the combination of high electron density and the galaxies’ infall speed accounts for why so much gas has been pulled into the bridge and surrounding regions.
The discovery was made using WALLABY, the Widefield Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) L-band Legacy All-sky Survey, which maps hydrogen across the sky with CSIRO’s ASKAP radio telescope.
Co-author Professor Kenji Bekki said neutral hydrogen was the key to the find. "Neutral hydrogen is the raw fuel for star formation, so mapping where it goes is fundamental to understanding galaxy evolution, especially in crowded environments," he said.
The system has striking similarities with the Milky Way and the Magellanic system, making it a valuable local laboratory for studying galactic interactions.
"These gas bridges show how fuel is moved, heated or removed," Professor Staveley-Smith added.
"By following these processes, we learn when and where stars may form or fail to form, and how the largest structures in the Universe live and change over time," he added.
The research highlights how powerful wide-field radio surveys can uncover hidden features that optical telescopes often miss, offering a deeper view into the forces that shape galaxies across cosmic time.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran has “no trust” in the United States and will only consider negotiations if Was...
The 13th edition of the World Urban Forum, due to begin in Baku on Sunday (17 May), is an ideal opportunity for Azerbaijan to show the world what s...
Russia has carried out its most extensive aerial attack over a two-day period since the start of its full-scale...
Indian drivers face higher fuel costs after state-run fuel retailers raised petrol and diesel prices for the first ti...
Finland said that...
Fresh observations by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and the Chandra X-ray Observatory reveal a massive galaxy cluster forming far sooner after the Big Bang than scientists once thought possible.
New modelling suggests Mars shapes some of Earth’s long-term orbital rhythms, including shorter eccentricity cycles and a 2.4-million-year pattern that vanishes without its gravitational pull.
Chinese scientists say they are moving closer to building one of the world’s most powerful neutrino telescopes, an underwater array known as the Tropical Deep sea Neutrino Telescope, or TRIDENT, that will sit around 3,500 metres below the surface.
A small, silent object from another star is cutting through the Solar System. It’s real, not a film, and one scientist thinks it might be sending a message.
The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran loomed over U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to China, as signs emerged that the conflict is causing a shift in alliances across the Middle East.
When Donald Trump boarded Air Force One for Beijing on Tuesday, he brought two cabinet members whose presence in China would have seemed unlikely a year ago, highlighting an unusual moment in U.S.–China relations.
The Eurovision Song Contest opened in Vienna on Tuesday amid heightened political tensions, as Israel competed in the first semi-final despite a boycott by five European broadcasters over the war in Gaza.
A new trilateral energy partnership involving Uzbekneftegaz, Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR and BP has been announced during Uzbekistan Energy Week 2026 in Tashkent.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s three-day summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing, beginning on Wednesday (13 May), comes as rivalry between the two superpowers reaches new heights, a China analyst has said.
Japanese filmmaker Koji Fukada has said that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to “jump straight to the result” risks undermining the purpose of art, which he believes should be rooted in self-expression and a deeper understanding of the world.
The Spanish government has issued a defiant message to Silicon Valley, confirming it will push ahead with stringent new legislation designed to make social networks and Artificial Intelligence (AI) demonstrably safer.
A robotics startup says it has built an AI “brain” that can teach humanoid robots new physical skills in days rather than months, as the race to deploy human-shaped machines in factories and warehouses accelerates.
Apple and Meta have publicly opposed a Canadian bill they say could force technology companies to weaken encryption on devices and online services if it becomes law.
European Union countries and European Parliament lawmakers have agreed on a softened version of the bloc’s landmark artificial intelligence rules, including delayed implementation, in a move critics say reflects growing concessions to major technology firms.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment