Astronomers discovered 49 galaxies in just 3 hours using the Meerkat telescope

While searching for bright interstellar gas, astronomers have found 49 new, previously unknown galaxies.

While scanning the sky for bright interstellar gas, a group of astronomers discovered 49 new galaxies. They were nicknamed the “Forty-Nine,” a reference to the nickname given to thousands of gold seekers who flocked to California during the Gold Rush of 1849. The team of astronomers was trying to study the gas that forms stars in a single radio galaxy. Instead, scientists discovered 49 new galaxies in just 180 minutes, demonstrating the power of the MeerKAT telescope located in South Africa.

Golden nuggets for astronomers

“Three of these new galaxies are particularly interesting, because by studying galaxies with other wavelengths of light, we found that the central galaxy forms many stars,” said the study's lead author. “It is likely stealing gas from its companion galaxies to form stars, which could lead to the other two galaxies To become inactive. “We hope to continue our studies and soon share with the community more discoveries of new gas-rich galaxies,” the scientists say.

MeerKAT telescope capabilities

“This discovery highlights the raw power of the MeerKAT telescope as an imaging tool,” said Ed Elson, co-author of the paper and a researcher at the University of Cape Town. “The methods we developed and implemented for the Forty-Nine Study will be useful for larger MeerKAT scientific investigations and smaller observational campaigns like ours,” he said. Further investigations will be needed to understand how they are made and the intrinsic properties of the new galaxies. We will provide you with everything new about the topic.

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