Cosmic mystery revealed: Giant double rings in space amaze scientists
An unusual double ring structure observed in space has shocked the scientific community, being described as one of the rarest and most enigmatic phenomena in the universe. The discovery, made using highly sensitive radio telescopes, is reported in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society and is led by researcher Dr. Ananda Hota.
According to Hota, the structure, called an “odd radio circle” or ORC, is made up of magnetized plasma – a charged gas that is affected by magnetic fields. These formations are so massive that they contain entire galaxies at their centers. ORCs can span hundreds of thousands of light-years and are up to 20 times larger than the Milky Way.
Although they appear faint, they can be detected by radio telescopes such as LOFAR (Low Frequency Array), a giant system of thousands of antennas in the Netherlands and other parts of Europe. It was this telescope that made it possible to identify the first ORC with double rings.
“We believe that a powerful explosion occurred in the central galaxy. The shock wave that followed may have reenergized the ancient clouds of magnetized plasma, making them shine again as double rings,” said Dr. Hota.
According to the researchers, these structures can be linked to the activity of supermassive black holes located in the centers of galaxies. When the material around them rotates at high speed, it heats up and releases streams of particles that propagate at almost the speed of light. The interaction of these streams with the surrounding plasma can create such magnificent formations.
The light emitted by the ORC has traveled 7.5 billion years to reach Earth, allowing astronomers to observe an early period of galactic evolution. According to the research team, this phenomenon may serve as an “archive” of violent cosmic events that have influenced the formation of stars and galaxies.
“By studying them at different cosmic epochs, we can understand how such explosions affect the surrounding gas and drive the creation of new stars,” concluded Dr. Hota.