| Description: |
Invisible structures could be floating around in our Galaxy, radically challenging our understanding of gas conditions in the Milky Way. The structures appear to be 'lumps' in the thin gas that lies between the stars in our Galaxy. Lumps in this gas work like lenses, focusing and defocusing the radio waves, making them appear to strengthen and weaken over a period of time. Pointing a telescope at a quasar called PKS 1939-315 in the constellation of Sagittarius, researchers saw a lensing event that went on for a year. Astronomers think the lenses are about the size of the Earth's orbit around the Sun and lie approximately 3000 light-years away - 1000 times further than the nearest star, Proxima Centauri. [Source: The Daily Galaxy]
|
 |
