Researchers Discover Star-Bridge Connecting Two Dwarf Galaxies

March 7, 2017 5:00 am
Researchers Discover a 43,000 Light Year Long Star Bridge
(V. Belokurov, D. Erkal, Axel Mellinger)
Researchers Discover a 43,000 Light Year Long Star Bridge
(V. Belokurov, D. Erkal, Axel Mellinger)

 

No, it’s not science fiction. According to new research published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS), an intergalactic bridge—spanning 43,000 light years—was discovered connecting the Milky Way’s two largest satellite galaxies.

Leading to the newly published material is a stellar census that is being conducted by the European Space Agency’s Gaia observatory.

Per Phys.org, the observations took 15 years to get back to Earth, and Gaia’s been sending back breathtaking images since last fall. If you’re wondering about how the European satellite holds up to our own Hubble Space Telescope, Gaia actually has one major advantage. “The satellite’s angular resolution is similar to that of the Hubble Space Telescope, but given its greater field of view, it can cover the entire sky rather than a small portion of it,” according to the science news site.

For more on the science behind the bridge itself, click here. For additional information on what Gaia’s been sending back to Earth, watch the video below.

—RealClearLife Staff

 

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