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Researchers Find the Largest Structure in the Milky Way Galaxy
An international team led by astronomers from the Max Plank Institute of Astronomy (MPIA) recently discovered a massive filament of atomic Hydrogen gas in our own galaxy. The structure, nicknamed “Maggie” is located on the other side of the Milky Way Galaxy, about 55,000 light-years away.
The goal of this study was to determine how the two most common Hydrogen isotopes converge to create clouds of interstellar dust, which are the building blocks of star formation. The two isotopes in question are atomic Hydrogen (H), and molecular Hydrogen (H2), which consists of two Hydrogen atoms held together in a covalent bond. When atomic Hydrogen becomes molecular Hydrogen, it condenses into clouds. When these clouds condense enough, protostars form.
The process by which atomic Hydrogen turns into molecular Hydrogen is important to the formation of everything in the Universe, but exactly how this process occurs is still largely unknown. This research has found the largest structure of atomic Hydrogen gas currently known in the Milky Way. By studying this structure, we may be able to witness the process of atomic Hydrogen turning into molecular Hydrogen.
