A must-watch analysis! We break down the significance of In 2010 , NASA ' s Fermi Gamma - ray Space Telescope discovered two... in the context of space.
These aren't soap bubbles. They are giant, hourglass-shaped clouds of high-energy gas and cosmic rays that extend 25,000 light-years above and below the galactic plane. That is a total span of 50,000 light-years—half the diameter of the entire galaxy!
The crazy part? We couldn't see them for most of human history because they glow only in gamma rays, which are invisible to the naked eye.
Scientists are still debating what created them. The leading theory is that our galaxy's supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A*, had a massive eruption a few million years ago, belching out jets of energy that inflated these bubbles like balloons. Another theory suggests a frenzy of star birth (and death) at the galactic center caused a powerful wind that pushed the gas outward.
It is a reminder that our quiet-looking galaxy has a violent history.
Did In 2010 , NASA ' s Fermi Gamma - ray Space Telescope discovered two... change your perspective on space? Let us know your biggest takeaway in the comments below.