Galaxies are far larger than previously imagined, stretching deep into space – so vast that the Milky Way is thought to be interacting with its nearest neighboring galaxy, Andromeda.
You may think it’s a very long way to the local pharmacy,” wrote Douglas Adams in his Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, “but that’s just peanuts compared to space.
The vastness of space is truly enormous. We inhabit one small planet revolving around a star, hidden in the distant reaches of our galaxy, which is just one of approximately 2 trillion galaxies that have been discovered in the universe. Space’s sheer magnitude is almost incomprehensible.
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We are aware of Earth’s circumference, which spans 12,756 kilometers (7,926 miles). We also know the approximate diameter of our Sun, which measures 1,391,000 kilometers (864,400 miles).
What is the enormous scale of the Milky Way? For a long time, the actual size of galaxies has been shrouded in mystery.
Stars and galaxies are significantly larger and more expansive than previously thought.
Astrophysicists have determined that galaxies are significantly larger than previously estimated, possibly several times bigger.
The spiral structure of the galaxy we are familiar with constitutes only the central core. For our own galaxy, the Milky Way, this core measures approximately 100,000 light-years across.
The starlight emitted by stars located within the spiral arms of the galaxy extends approximately 7,800 light-years into outer space, which was previously considered the point where a galaxy terminated and outer space began.
Researchers have discovered that conspicuous paths of gas radiate from the observable spirals of starlight far out into the vastness of space.
Thanks to new imaging techniques, astronomers have been able to view these halos. The methods used were able to detect galaxy gas halos extending as deep as 100,000 light years into space. This has greatly expanded our understanding of the size of galaxies.
Kissing galaxies
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New research indicates that our Milky Way is probably colliding with its nearest neighbor, Andromeda, which is approximately 2.5 million light years away, according to a paper’s lead author, Nikole Nielsen, a researcher at Swinburne University in Australia.
“We’re now witnessing the limit of the galaxy’s reach, where it transitions into the surrounding environment and ultimately merges with the broader cosmic network and other galaxies. These are generally blurry frontiers,” Nielsen noted in a press release.
Researchers claim that this breakthrough has the potential to shed light on one of the most significant queries in the field of astronomy: what drives galaxies’ evolution?
Understanding the properties of these stars, as well as those that do not form stars anymore — will help to comprehend how galaxies gain mass over time, and what effects galaxies have on one another when they interact.
Edited by: Andreas Illmer
Primary source:
(2024).
Author: Fred Schwaller
