Untersuchungen haben eine kolossale Brücke von neutralem Wasserstoffgas aufgedeckt, das zwei Zwerggalaxien verbindet. Dies umfasst erstaunliche 185.000 Lichtjahre zwischen den Galaxien NGC 4532 und DDO 137 und liegt 53 Millionen Lichtjahre von der Erde.

Researchers from The University of Western Australia node at the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) have uncovered an immense structure, which spans an astonishing 185,000 light-years between galaxies NGC 4532 and DDO 137, located 53 million light-years from Earth.

The study, published overnight in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, also revealed that a vast tail of gas accompanied the bridge, extending 1.6 million light-years, making it the longest-ever observed.

Lead author, ICRAR UWA astronomer Professor Lister Staveley-Smith, said the discovery marked a significant step forward in understanding how galaxies interact.

https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/543/1/526/8258914