Astrophysicists Discover Interstellar Tunnel Connecting to Other Star Systems: A New Era in Galactic Exploration

Astronomers have discovered an “interstellar tunnel” in the solar system that can connect to other star systems. explained.

According to the research published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Astronomy & Astrophysics (AA), the tunnel is part of the very hot gas structure known as the “Local Hot Bubble”, which surrounds the Solar System and covers an area equal to hundreds. of light years.

The results suggest that this tunnel may connect to a larger bubble nearby.

Astronomers from the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Germany analyzed data collected by the eROSITA telescope, the first x-ray observatory completely outside the Earth’s atmosphere.

By creating a three-dimensional model of the Local Hot Bubble, researchers confirmed some previously known features of this massive structure. But he also discovered completely new features.

“What we didn’t know was that there was an interstellar tunnel extending towards Centaurus, opening a gap in the cooler interstellar medium,” said astronomer Michael Freyberg.

The Local Bubble was coined over 50 years ago to explain the presence of X-ray radiation behind the observations.

Because the space between star systems is full of scattered clouds of gas and dust, these low-energy X-ray emissions had to be absorbed long before astronomers could detect them.

Astronomers believe that this bubble was born about 14 million years ago when a series of supernovae blew away all nearby gas and dust, creating a gap of about 1,000 light-years. As evidence of this, the remnants of ancient supernovae are presented.

The authors of the new study suggest that the interstellar tunnel they discovered could be part of the central interstellar network that covers the entire Milky Way Galaxy, created by bursts of energy that were released release with stars.

Along with the interstellar tunnel, detailed modeling of the Local Bubble also showed that the northern region is significantly hotter than the southern region.

This suggests that new supernovae may have occurred in the past million years, expanding the bubble and reheating the material inside.