In 2019 we already saw it The Milky Way It was not flat, but far from it, but Absolutely a contraceptive condom. In his study we describe its shape “A hamburger with a lot of lettuce”, On the latest map of the Milky Way The existence of the Great Magellanic Cloud and the voyage through our vicinity were confirmed.

The Great Magellanic Cloud (and smaller) has been baffling scientists for years about their motions. One of the great mysteries of the universe around us. That is a theory They will disappear This new map also talks about disappearing, but about what Collide with the Milky Way In 2 billion years.

Big Cloud, we caught you, you’re getting closer and closer

Although more recent missions have been allowed Know the Milky Way in detail, There is still much to know, especially the unseen. We mention Dark matter, Another great secret that involves great difficulty in resolution, because it is even harder to guess.

So this map is the result of a published work Nature, Which is very interesting, because in addition to giving more information about the shape of our galaxy it is to demonstrate what it has achieved Presence, shape, size and location of the Great Magellanic Cloud, In addition to providing more information about his strange position. This is related to the presence of dark matter in the Milky Way.

The study was conducted using data from GAO ​​(ESA), as well as data from the Niovis Telescope (NASA). Data collected between 2009 and 2018. The researchers focused on the outermost part of the Milky Way, known as the low-density galaxy halo.

Representation of the halo in the Milky Way and Magellanic clouds. Image: Nature

It is in that area that they find large amounts of dark matter, which we remember “See” its possible form (If we can see that) It is estimated to be 23% of all matter in the universe. Because we can’t see it Does not interact with lightIn fact, we know that it exists only by discovering its gravitational influence, and what they saw on this map is the path that attracts the big cloud.

According to Describe Astronomers at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and Large Magellanic Cloud, the authors of the book, “travel through the Milky Way galaxy like a ship through the halo and create a path of stars behind it.” Plus, the cloud on its space journey A path of dark matter would remain in its background.

In this animation we see the representation of all this, the space containing the dark matter in the halo and the big cloud (LMC by Great Magellanic Cloud). Another curious thing is that the movement of the cloud is finally determined as much as possible As expected Approaches us, but not only in passing To collide with the Milky Way Within 2 billion years, its orbit will decrease as it reacts with dark matter.

In fact, this map is interesting Allows to expand the study of dark matter, Considered as the skeleton or scarfolding of the universe. The researchers hope that this will provide a new basis (additional studies and more data) for different theories about the nature of dark matter. One of them The pieces may be joined, It fits in with the various simulations we mentioned when talking about “seeing”.

Picture | NASA / CXC / Yumas / QD Wang; Radio: NRF / SARAO / MeerKAT