Researchers have detected a concealed gaseous connection, extending across more than 185,000 light-years, linking the dwarf galaxies NGC 4532 and DDO 137, which reside approximately 53 million light-years distant from our planet.(Image credit: ICRAR and D.Lang (Perimeter Institute))
Space experts have spotted an immense filament of almost invisible gas — reaching about twice the span of the entire Milky Way — joining a couple of remote dwarf galaxies. The connected objects also boast a record-setting galactic appendage, exceeding our own galaxy’s width by over 15 times.
The small galaxy pairing, NGC 4532 and DDO 137, is positioned roughly 53 million light-years away, situated at the periphery of the Virgo cluster, which holds in excess of 1,000 galaxies. This duo is akin to the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) — neighboring dwarf galaxies orbiting closely around the Milky Way — yet they are not fastened to a solitary object. Instead, it seems they are gradually spiraling into the Virgo cluster.
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In a study detailed Sept. 23 in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, investigators reassessed the WALLABY data and noticed a massive gaseous connection filling the span of around 185,000 light-years between NGC 4532 and DDO 137. The freshly acknowledged filament forms an almost ideal straight path and possesses an unexpectedly dense concentration of star-forming gas.
Following closely behind the substantial connection were numerous less prominent wisps of gas, which includes a colossal tail reaching a length of up to 1.6 million light-years. The researchers noted that this renders it the longest galactic appendage on record, surpassing a 1.5 million light-year tail identified trailing the NGC 4839 galaxy group in 2023.
NGC 4532 and DDO 137, together with their adjacent connection and appendage, were discovered utilizing the newly active ASKAP telescope situated in Western Australia.
The bridge and tail are both constructed of neutral hydrogen gas, a vital component for creating both stars and galaxies.
“Neutral hydrogen is essential in the creation of stars, making this detection key to grasping how galaxies engage and develop, especially in dense environments,” mentioned study co-author Kenji Bekki, a researcher in astrophysics at the University of Western Australia (UWA) and the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR), in an announcement.
The scientists hypothesize that the filament developed from a “close passage,” or a near collision, between the two small galaxies exceeding 1 billion years ago, when they only just evaded colliding. The tidal influences from this encounter most likely extracted a large portion of neutral hydrogen from the smaller galaxy toward the larger one, which has subsequently been stretched between them.
Meanwhile, the pair’s extended appendage is likely being pulled out by a phenomenon referred to as “ram pressure.” This stems from the galaxies moving through the incredibly heated gas cloud encircling the Virgo cluster, attaining heat levels reaching up to 200 times hotter compared to the sun’s surface. As the pair navigated through this cosmic inferno, the gas inside their mutual bridge has gradually separated into an appendage.
“The event mirrors atmospheric entry when a satellite re-enters Earth’s higher atmosphere, but unfolded across a billion years,” stated study primary author Lister Staveley-Smith, an astronomer associated with UWA and ICRAR, in the announcement. It is also the identical process that gave rise to the 1.5 million light-year appendage belonging to NGC 4839.
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Further examination of the bridge and tail, alongside comparable formations potentially concealed within the WALLABY data, could enable researchers to improve their understanding of how galaxies transform across time.
“Grasping the essence of these gaseous bridges and their behavior gives essential understanding of how galaxies develop through the ages, how galactic gas shifts, and the various circumstances where galaxies may or may not form stars,” commented Staveley-Smith.
Drawing parallels between the dwarf galaxies featured in the study with the LMC and SMC could also illuminate the evolution of these structures both with and without the presence of a more substantial galactic counterpart, the researchers indicated.
Harry BakerSocial Links NavigationSenior Staff Writer
Harry is a senior staff writer for Live Science, residing in the U.K. He obtained a marine biology degree at the University of Exeter prior to pursuing journalism. He reports on a broad spectrum of subjects, spanning space exploration, planetology, space weather, climate dynamics, ethology, and paleontology. His recent contributions focusing on the solar maximum secured the “best space submission” accolade during the 2024 Aerospace Media Awards and achieved shortlisting in the “top scoop” category at the NCTJ Awards for Excellence in 2023. Additionally, he authors Live Science’s recurring Earth from space series.
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