A tunnel that swallows the entire Solar System, a “bomb hole” in the galaxy containing Earth, and a jellyfish “returned from the dead” suddenly appearing in the sky… are some of the most astonishing discoveries made by astronomers over the past year.
Live Science has highlighted some of the “unbelievable” cosmic objects that emerged in 2021.
1. “Phantom Jellyfish” from the Dead
Invisible to the naked eye, telescopes have captured shocking images of one or two translucent and brightly glowing “jellyfish” appearing in the sky, emanating from the Abell 2877 galaxy cluster, located 300 million light-years away.
Phantom jellyfish captured in radio images – Photo: Curtin University
Resembling jellyfish or bizarre jelly-like structures, this object has been poetically named “radio phoenix,” believed to be the result of a black hole explosion.
2. The Great Wall in the “Heart” of the Milky Way
A study published in November in Nature Communications revealed an invisible wall surrounding the central region of the Milky Way galaxy, which protects it from intense cosmic rays. This wall is likely related to the supermassive black hole located at the center of the galaxy.
The galaxy containing Earth – Photo: NASA Goddard
3. A Hole in the Milky Way
A cavity 500 light-years wide, named the Perseus-Taurus Supershell, has been discovered right within our galaxy. It resembles a gigantic balloon completely devoid of contents.
A hole in the Milky Way? – Photo: Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
This hole was observed by the Gaia space observatory of the European Space Agency (ESA) and is believed to be the remnant of a catastrophic supernova explosion, marking the final death of a star.
4. A Magnetic Tunnel Surrounding the Solar System
In a study of two gas structures emitting the brightest radio waves in the sky—North Polar Spur and Fan Region—scientists found that they appear to be interconnected by long, twisted strands of charged particles, creating a powerful magnetic field. These strands are linked together, forming a gigantic tube, or what can be described as a terrifying magnetic tunnel within which the Solar System and many surrounding stars are nestled.
Strange signs at the two gigantic magnetic structures suggest they could be the ends of a tunnel – Photo: ESA
Mysterious Structure on the Moon
An unexplained structure was captured by China’s Yutu 2 rover on the Moon on October 29. The object protrudes just above the horizon and appears completely unnatural, leading many to speculate it could be evidence of an extraterrestrial civilization.
Strange structure on the Moon – Photo: CNSA
The China National Space Administration (CNSA) stated that Yutu 2 will need at least three months for a clearer investigation.
