Most of the stars in the Universe are caught up in galaxies, separated by vast distances called intergalactic space, where only the occasional solitary stars. 31.03.2022, Sputnik International
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MGTC J095959.63+024608.6 and MGTC J100016.84+015133 were found with the powerful MeerKAT telescope (I. Heywood, Oxford/Rhodes/SARAO)
Astronomers have discovered two cosmic beasts in a small patch of sky. Dwarfing the Milky way, the two new radio galaxies are thought to be among the largest single objects in the universe.
Whereas normal radio galaxies are fairly common, only a few hundred of these have radio jets exceeding 700 kilo-parsecs in size, or around 22 times the size of the Milky Way. The latest research shows the discoveries – named MGTC J095959.63+024608.6 and MGTC J100016.84+015133.0 – are more than 2 Mega-parsecs across: about 6.5 million light-years or about 62 times the size of the Milky Way. These “truly enormous systems” are dubbed “giant radio galaxies,” say authors.