New
research indicates that a highly odd structure has been discovered in the outer
parts of our Milky Way galaxy.
The
research, which has been published for publication in The Astrophysical Journal
Letters, describes Cattail, a gas filament that "appears to be the
furthest and biggest massive filament in the galaxy so far," according to
a team of astronomers from Nanjing University.
Astronomers have yet to determine the origin of this huge gas filament, although theory suggests that it is a previously undetected segment of a spiral arm. Alternately, Cattail might be part of a new arm, however, it is confusing because the structure does not completely follow the warp of the galactic disc.
The
discovery of this strange and massive gas filament will help astronomers better
understand our galaxy but as of now Cattail remains a mystery to astronomers
from several angles for example where did it initially came from and why is it
so massive.
Reference(s): Peer-Reviewed Research, InterestingEngineering
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