The universe, perhaps surprisingly, is not comprised of galaxies randomly distributed throughout space; that is, it is not very homogeneous. Instead, its galaxies are clustered into distinct structures, typically gigantic filaments separated by vast voids—the “large-scale structure (LSS),” an architecture whose discovery and mappings were pioneered by CfA astronomers about thirty years ago. Astronomers since have combined LSS maps with results…
Tag: filaments
Spiraling filaments feed young galaxies
Galaxies grow by accumulating gas from their surroundings and converting it to stars, but the details of this process have remained murky. New observations, made using the Keck Cosmic Web Imager (KCWI) at the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii, now provide the clearest, most direct evidence yet that filaments of cool gas spiral into young galaxies, supplying the fuel for…
Will evidence for life on Mars look like fettuccine pasta?
The search for life on Mars usually involves looking for past or present microbes, invisible to the eye. Scientists at University of Illinois suggest searching instead for a type of rock formation known on Earth to be created by microbes. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/fettuccine-rocks-mars-astrobiology-sulfuri-bacteria-geology-space…