Today’s Solutions: December 08, 2024

In our galaxy’s galactic halo, there are 12 streams of stars orbiting. These burning balls of gas are actually being torn apart and their energy is absorbed into the Milky Way. In other words, they are the galaxy’s food source. Using the Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT), a team has finally got to the bottom of these stars’ exact position, movements, and deterioration.

Why is this discovery so exciting?

The findings, published in Astrophysical Journal, are an important discovery as they provide all sorts of information about the dark matter present in the galaxy. This invisible force is what holds the stars in orbit throughout the galaxy, though it is extremely hard to study due to its minuscule size and strange properties.

“Think of a Christmas tree,” says co-author Professor Geraint F. Lewis. “On a dark night, we see the Christmas lights, but not the tree they are wrapped around. But the shape of the lights reveals the shape of the tree. It is the same with stellar streams – their orbits reveal the dark matter.”

Through this information, the history of the Milky Way’s star shredding and consumption can also be deciphered. “As our galaxy is getting older, it is getting fatter. This study gives us a snapshot of the Milky Way’s feeding habits, such as what kinds of smaller stellar systems it eats,” stated Professor Ting Li, a lead author of the paper.

Dark matter makes up approximately 85 percent of the matter in the universe. The exciting discovery is an important step in a deeper understanding of the world and universe around us.

Source study: Astrophysical JournalS5: The Orbital and Chemical Properties of One Dozen Stellar Streams

Solutions News Source Print this article
More of Today's Solutions

Forget dressers, IKEA wants you to build a bee house

The task of building IKEA furniture has been challenging newlyweds and college students for years. In 2020, the company started offering a new challenge ...

Read More

Want healthier houseplants? Try naming them

Have a hard time keeping houseplants alive? The key to a greener thumb might just be giving your plant a name. It sounds silly, ...

Read More

Benefits of working out in the nude

We've written before about how spending time naked can improve your body image, and it’s well known that regular exercise also improves self-esteem and ...

Read More

Hawaii is the first US state to enact ban on shark fishing

On the first day of the year, January 1st, 2022, Hawaii became the first state in the US to enact a ban on shark ...

Read More