New radio images of the center of our galaxy look like modern abstract art
New images from the center of the Milky Way provide a uniquely dramatic perspective into the heart of the galaxy we call home.
The South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) released on January 26 new images from its radio telescope, MeerKAT, which is the most sensitive of its kind. They provide new insight into supernovae, non-thermal filaments and the huge black hole at the center of the galaxy.
Look at the center of the Milky Way
The MeerKAT telescope uses 64 antennas spread over nearly 8 km to capture radio waves. Only radio waves can pierce the layers of cosmic dust between Earth and the center of our galaxy, which means MeerKAT is uniquely positioned to provide insight into the densely populated area. And the newly released images are an impressive showcase of the power of MeerKAT; though they look like abstract impressionistic works of art, they show “bright stars, stellar nurseries, and the chaotic region around the 4 million solar-mass supermassive black hole lurking at the center of our Galaxy,” according to SARAO.
That bright egg-yolk-like object in the center of the image at the top of the page is the black hole at the heart of the Milky Way. The bright yellow color represents the immense amount of radio emissions from matter being sucked into the black hole.
The red streaks in the image above, meanwhile, are Nonthermal Filaments (NTFs), huge magnetized strands only found near the center of the galaxy. The Sauron-like eye is the black hole shown from another angle. The researchers who reconstructed the image published their findings in an article by the Astrophysical Journal and SARAO also publishes a public database for use by other scientists. This database contains details of a never-before-seen supernova remnant.
MeerKAT’s capabilities are a huge “leap forward”
The huge cloud in the image below is a supernova remnant, while the bright light on the left is called the “Mouse Nebula” due to its resemblance to the small rodent. The incredibly bright spot is made up of a pulsar moving at some 100 kilometers per second, explaining the visible trailing tail.
“I spent a lot of time looking at this image working on it, and I never get tired of it,” says Dr Ian Heywood of the University of Oxford and lead author of the study. “When I show this image to people who might be new to radio astronomy, or unfamiliar with it, I always try to emphasize that radio imaging wasn’t always like this, and what a leap forward MeerKAT really is. in terms of sound It has been a real privilege to work over the years with colleagues at SARAO who have built this fantastic telescope.
It’s a testament to the capabilities of the MeerKAT telescope, which is slated for a $54 million 20-dish extension. The new images are truly impressive – who knew the center of the Milky Way looked so much like a Radiohead album cover?