Astronomers at NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory have discovered a remarkable galaxy cluster where two streams of superheated gas are colliding spectacularly.
This is the second tail appearing from a galaxy in this cluster. (Image: NASA).
According to NASA’s announcement, researchers observed a colossal tail of hot gas resembling a comet, extending over 1.6 million light-years, trailing behind a galaxy in the Zwicky 8338 galaxy cluster.
This tail was formed as the galaxy moved through a cloud of hot gas, causing a portion of the gas to be stripped away and creating two distinct flows.
Notably, this is the second tail observed emerging from a galaxy in this system. Previously, astronomers had also detected a shorter pair of tails from another nearby galaxy.
The newly discovered longer tail was identified through deeper observations using Chandra – a tool that enhances visibility of weaker X-rays.
NASA stated that this discovery indicates how intersecting gas streams might lead to the formation of new structures in space. This raises intriguing questions about how galaxies interact and evolve in the universe.
