Astronomers have reported the find of two enormous radio galaxy , which are believed to be among the largest single objects in the macrocosm . The two galaxies have enormous radio jet stretching for more than 6.5 million calorie-free - age – equivalent to around 62 times the size of the Milky Way .
The find was possible thanks to the potent MeerKAT telescope in South Africa , and the findings were published in theMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society . The discovery of these galaxies paint a picture that these cosmic leviathans are not as scarce as previously thought .
Galaxies emitting a great deal of radio set wave are fairly commonplace in the existence , but there are only a few hundred with wireless honey oil larger than 2.2 million light - year . These “ giant radio galax ” have been considered a cosmic rarity . The MeerKAT observations find these two galaxies roughly in the same spot in the sky .
" We get hold these giant radio galaxies in a part of sky which is only about 4 times the arena of the full Moon . base on our current knowledge of the density of elephantine radio galaxies in the sky , the probability of regain two of them in this region is less than 0.0003 per cent , " lead authorDr Jacinta Delhaize , from the University of Cape Town , tell in astatement . " This means that giant radio galaxies are probably far more common than we thought ! "
These two galaxy belong to the top ten pct of all known giant radio extragalactic nebula . This work not only hints at a yet - to - be - discovered universe of giant radio galaxy but also cater some insight into why we have n’t found them yet .
The biggest galaxies are also among the old , as it takes meter to launch these jet plane into intergalactic space for millions of lightheaded - years . These newly discovered galaxies are much fainter than same - sized wandflower we had antecedently seen , so the missing universe might be just beyond our watching limit .
" In the past tense , this universe of galaxies has been cover from our ' sight ' by the proficient limitation of receiving set telescopes . However , it is now being revealed thanks to the telling capabilities of the new generation of telescopes , " Dr Delhaize summate .
MeerKAT was design as a precursor of theSquare Kilometer Array , an Intercontinental regalia of radio set telescopes that start full mental synthesis this year . It will be completed by 2027 , and it is expected to start observing the sky as ahead of time as 2023 . More giant galaxies like these are probable to be discover soon .
