Milky Way has always been intriguing. What’s beyond Milky Way is more intriguing. Australian researchers have devised a new method of surveying the sky using radio telescopes. This allows them to see what lies beyond the mysteries of this galaxy and much more. In the Astrophysical Journal, Prof. Lister Staveley-Smith and his colleagues at the International Center for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) were able to take a peek behind the Milky Way galaxy using CSIRO’s Parkes Radio Telescope. They were able to do so after the telescope was fitted with a new receiver.
The Great Attractor that lies beyond the magic of Milky Way
The scientists are on a quest to find out what is in that area of space where a massive gravitational anomaly, also known as the Great Attractor is found. It is supposed to be located some 150 and 250 million light years away from the Milky Way. Earlier derived theories tell that there might be a large collection of stars and galaxies. The expansive disk of the Milky Way has prevented astronomers from studying the area. “The Milky Way is very beautiful of course and it’s very interesting to study our own galaxy but it completely blocks out the view of the more distant galaxies behind it,” Staveley-Smith said.
The astronomers have used various techniques to see past the Milky Way but they were only able to peek through the thick foreground layer of stars and dust after using radio observations of the sky. Great Attractor was first found when Astronomers conducted sky surveys in 1973 and in 1978. Around 1986, they somehow managed to provide estimate about where the gravitational anomaly could be. As per their conclusions, The Great Attractor is believed to be somewhere in the vicinity of the constellations Norma (The Carpenter’s Square) and Triangulum Australe (The Southern Triangle). The area specified also includes the Norma Cluster (Abell 3627) and a dense portion of the Milky Way.
A great finding that will change a lot of theories
The great attractor has been intriguing astronomers since long. Staveley-Smith and his team are trying to find more information regarding the same. It is assumed that the Great Attractor has a gravitational force that is comparable to that of a million billion suns. This has been one of the biggest mysteries in astronomy and the recent ICRAR researchers have seen beyond the Milky Way. They can provide some valuable insights in solving this cosmic puzzle.
“We are yet to determine the potential cause of the acceleration of gravity in the Milky Way or where the phenomenon is coming from. We do know, however, is that the region is home to a large number of galaxies known as superclusters, and that the entire Milky Way is traveling toward these clusters at a speed over two million kilometers per hour.”, said Staveley-Smith.
The researchers have struck gold with their research as they have found three dense galaxy concentrations as well as two new clusters. They are assumed to be contributing towards the massive flow of galaxies toward that direction. “Discovering hundreds of additional galaxies behind the Milky Way means that there is a large amount of mass in that area of space that scientists did not know existed until now.”, said study co-author Renée Kraan-Korteweg.
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