Astronomy is still offering us discoveries that make us rethink what we know about the cosmos. Now, the MeerKAT radio telescope has found one of the most surprising discoveries, which showed a galaxy so big that it overshadowed our Milky Way up to 32 times! This finding was named Ikathazo and it proposes fundamental questions about how galaxies are formed and how they grow. Not only that, but it also questions whether we understand the limits of the universe. So, let’s learn more about MeerKAT’s discovery.
Inkathazo
This means ‘’trouble’’ in isiXhosa and isiZulu, and it’s classified as a giant radio galaxy (GRG). Thanks to the MeerKAT telescope and advanced systems of data analysis, researchers discovered that Inkathazo expands 3.3 million light-years. In comparison, the Milky Way is barely about 100,000 light-years of diameter.
Its size comes from the plasma jets emitted by a supermassive black hole in the center of the galaxy. These jets glow in radio waves and spread way beyond the galaxy itself. The unusual thing about Inkathazo is that one of its jets seems to be rounded on one side and that it’s located in a compact cluster environment, opposite to most of the GRGs that tend to be in more open spaces.
Why is it so weird?
To understand its rarity, we only need to remember that the Milky Way is already huge with its 100,000 light-years. So, if we multiply that by 32 we get a very close number of Inkathazo’s size. Even though not many GRGs are known, very few of them reach these massive dimensions.
Inkathazo is more than huge, it stands out because of the place where it’s located and the unusual shape of its jets.
How the MeerKAT revealed Inkathazo
This finding was possible thanks to the MeerKAT radio telescope, one of the most sensitive instruments to track the sky in radiofrequency. When invisible weak emissions for optical telescopes are detected, the MeerKAT allows tracking the huge plasma jets that expand millions of light-years. Its sensitivity has multiplied the number of GRGs known and it has shown cases like Inkathazo’s.
Challenging cosmic theories
According to modern cosmological models (LCDM), large-scale structures like the giant galaxies develop slowly. Small variations in the primitive universe join with the passage of time and, for hundreds of millions of years, the jets of black holes can expand if the conditions are stable.
However, Inkathazo seems to have grown faster and more than expected. Its plasma maps reveal surprisingly young regions, which indicates there’s still energy or active processes that keep the jets visible. This is opposite to the idea that says these jets should weaken or vanish with time.
Possible explanations
Astronomers have different hypotheses to explain why Inkathazo is that huge. So, let’s see what they have to say:
- Low-density environment: It may lie in a region with less interstellar gas, allowing the jets to expand farther with little resistance.
- Re-energization: Parts of the plasma lobes may have been reignited, giving them “new life” and allowing the galaxy to maintain its massive structure.
- Extreme black hole spin: Inkathazo’s central black hole may have an unusually fast rotation and powerful magnetic fields, fueling jets of exceptional strength.
If these explanations are not enough, maybe experts should review the current theories about jet behaviors and formation of cosmic structures.
Why this discovery matters
The Inkathazo finding thanks to the MeerKAT proves that there’s still a long way to go to understand the universe. A galaxy that’s more than 32 times bigger than the Milky Way makes scientists consider the limits of the cosmic growth. What’s more, it also confirms the importance of sensitive radio telescopes, which are capable of revealing phenomena that optical observations alone cannot explain.