Page 19 - EngineerIT February 2022 UPDATED

SPACE SCIENCES

New MeerKAT radio image reveals

complex heart of the Milky Way

he South African Radio Astronomy obscures the view of this region at other with it, I always try to emphasise that
Observatory (SARAO) has published wavelengths. MeerKAT’s innovative design, radio imaging hasn’t always been this way,
Ta new MeerKAT telescope image sensitivity and geographical vantage and what a leap forward MeerKAT really
of the centre of our galaxy, showing point have been the keys to producing is in terms of its capabilities. It’s been a
radio emission from the region with the remarkable image, which reveals new true privilege to work over the years with
unprecedented clarity and depth. The supernova remnants – the expanding colleagues from SARAO who built this
international team behind the work is shells of material left behind when fantastic telescope.”
publishing the initial science highlights massive stars end their lives explosively –
from this image in The Astrophysical including a rare almost-perfect spherical
Journal. The article is accompanied example, and provides astronomers with The new MeerKAT image of the
by a public release of the data to the the best insight yet into the population galactic centre region is shown with
worldwide astronomical community for of mysterious ‘radio filaments’ found the galactic plane running horizontally
their further scientific exploration. nowhere else. across the image. Many new and
The image captures radio emission “I’ve spent a lot of time looking at previously known radio features are
from numerous phenomena, including this image in the process of working on evident, including supernova remnants,
outbursting stars, stellar nurseries and it, and I never get tired of it,” says Dr Ian compact star-forming regions and
the chaotic region around the four million Heywood from the University of Oxford, the large population of mysterious
solar mass supermassive black hole that Rhodes University and SARAO, and lead radio filaments. The broad feature
lurks in the centre of our galaxy, 25,000 author of the study. “When I show this running vertically through the image
light years from Earth. Radio waves image to people who might be new to is the inner part of the (previously
penetrate the intervening dust that radio astronomy, or otherwise unfamiliar discovered) radio bubbles, spanning
1400 light years across the centre of
the galaxy. Colours indicate bright
radio emission, while fainter emission
is shown in greyscale.
Credit: I. Heywood, SARAO.

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