Page 20 - EngineerIT February 2022 UPDATED

SPACE SCIENCES

A rare, almost-perfect spherical supernova
remnant that has been discovered at the edge of
the MeerKAT mosaic. Numerous compact radio
sources are also visible, many of which signpost
supermassive black holes at the centres of galaxies
far beyond our own. There is also an intriguing
tailed radio source visible on the right of the
image, which could be an object in our galaxy
moving at high speed, leaving a trailing wake.
Credit: I. Heywood, SARAO.

The new image is based on a mosaic
of 20 separate observations using 200
hours of telescope time covering an area
of six square degrees (30 times the area of
the full Moon). The data was consistently
processed to deliver an angular resolution
of four seconds of arc – the angle
subtended by a tall person at a distance
of 100 kilometres; or by the width of a
fine human hair held at arm’s length –

The complex, cirrus-like emission
from the galactic centre super bubble
This work represents the culmination of three years of detailed analysis of a survey dominates this image. This is traversed
conducted during the telescope’s commissioning phase. Those observations had already by the radio arc, a complex of many
led to the iconic inaugural MeerKAT image in 2018 as well as the discovery of a pair of giant parallel radio filaments. The radio
radio bubbles, evidence of an explosive outburst from the heart of our galaxy several million bubble nestles against the diffuse
years ago. Now, at last, the image is available in its full complexity for detailed study by Sagittarius A region in the lower centre
astronomers worldwide. of the image. The bright dot near the
centre of this region is Sagittarius A*, a
four million solar mass black hole. This
image captures the chaotic complexity
at the very heart of our galaxy.
Credit: I. Heywood, SARAO.

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