Stunning photos from the depths of space

Astronomers have been working on this new set of satellite images for nearly a decade. used radio telescope promises (low frequency array) uses more than 70000 antenna, In the 9 European countries stationed. The antenna distribution makes it possible to create a particularly high-resolution image from many individual images (radio interferometer).

New recordings check it out 20 times Normal resolution of a radio telescope. In a special issue of the trade magazine Astronomy and astrophysics Photos and technology used were described in more detail – we summarized them for you.

Merge galaxies

The cool image shows winds the size of a galaxy. It exudes a dusty core, the birthplace of giant stars. This was created after two galaxies merged.

Supermassive black hole and Hercules a

galaxy Hercules It has a supermassive black hole at its center. It devours some of the gas or sends it in very fast jet streams. It consists of matter that is not drawn into the black hole, but flows at its poles at extremely high speeds.

New LOFAR recordings show that these jet streams are all 100,000 years Weight gain and then weight loss again. This fluctuation ensures that it formed in two wings around Hercules A. Each of them is the size of our own Milky Way.

A young galaxy far away

The light from this galaxy comes from a time when the universe was barely visible 2.6 billion years I was. It is usually very difficult to study such distant and relatively young objects because they are so small. Now you can see their structures for the first time and how they interact with their surroundings.

The large orange circle in the center is the galaxy as seen in optical light. The dark dot in the middle is its core. It sends jet streams over the edge of the galaxy that can be seen above and below.

Youth planes

Using LOFAR, the team was able to see very small and therefore small, old and very large aircraft at the same time. The image shows two streams of Galaxy 3C293. The researchers found evidence here that the streams were paused.

Understand jet streams

In particular, the display of jet streams has not previously been possible with such high accuracy. They are only visible via radio waves. The new images could reveal more about how it is shaped and oriented. The set of images shows jet streams from several distant galaxies.

promises

Comparing these two images shows how effective the technology with which astronomers have achieved high accuracy is. On the left you can see the normal resolution of the galaxy, on the right the resolution of LOFAR.