Scientists Map Giant Space Bubble That Is Home To Milky Way For The First Time
We live in a giant bubble in space and scientists say that they've managed to map it with the first "3D map of a magnetic field over a superbubble."
This superbubble is called the Local Bubble and extends up to 1,000 light years around the solar system., and it formed after giant explosions from dead stars.
Mapping a superbubble
Scientists have been learning new things about these superbubbles all thanks to technological advancements. In the last few years, scientists have managed to map the geometry of the Local Bubble in three dimensions. They also showed that the bubble's surface is where stars are birthed as gas and dust continue to expand.
Now, scientists have learned more things about this cosmic superbubble. They charted the magnetic field of the Local Bubble, which they claim plays a key role in star formation, Vice reported.
Also read:?Massive 'Extragalactic Structure' Found Lurking Behind The Milky Way
Astronomers presented "the first-ever 3D map of a magnetic field over a superbubble" on Wednesday at the American Astronomical Society's 241st annual meeting. In addition, the team showed detailed depictions of the new map, getting us closer to an even better understanding of such bubbles.
"We think that the entire interstellar medium is really full of all these bubbles that are driven by various forms of feedback from, especially, really massive stars, where they're outputting energy in some form or another into the space between the stars," said Theo O¡¯Neill, the study's lead.
Also read:?Largest Gas Cloud Discovered In Space Is 20 Times Bigger Than Milky Way Galaxy
"What Theo has done is to make a really good guess at a three-dimensional map of the magnetic field on the surface of a Local Bubble," study's co-author Alyssa Goodman said. "That's why it's so exciting¡ªbecause it's the first time there's actually an estimate outside the solar system of what the 3D field looks like," Goodman added.
The map was created using observations from two European Space Agency space missions - Gaia and Planck. Both of these missions made detailed observations about how dust is distributed in the Milky Way.
What do you think about living in a bubble, literally? Let us know in the comments below.?For more in the world of?technology?and?science, keep reading?Indiatimes.com.?
References
Ferreira, B. (2023, January 11). We Exist Inside a Giant Space Bubble, And Scientists Have Finally Mapped It. https://www.vice.com/en/article/qjkqbq/we-exist-inside-a-giant-space-bubble-and-scientists-have-finally-mapped-it
