Astronomers have discovered a series of faint, circular objects in space using advanced radio telescopes like the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) and MeerKAT in South Africa. These telescopes are revealing an unseen universe with mysterious cosmic structures.
The discoveries include “ghostly rings” surrounding rare stars, such as Kýklos and WR16, which form when unstable massive stars eject gas into space. The expelled material expands symmetrically, creating circular shapes seen in radio observations.
Several newly discovered objects, like Stingray 1, Perun, Ancora, and Unicycle, are supernova remnants – the aftermath of massive stellar explosions. These objects have unique features, such as Teleios, which remains nearly perfect in symmetry due to its lack of interaction with surrounding material.
Another notable find is Diprotodon, a massive remnant measuring six times larger than the Moon, with complex interactions with its environment. The name “Diprotodon” comes from an extinct Australian species, inspired by its size.
New discoveries also challenge previous classifications, such as Lagotis, which reveals an additional HII region surrounding a stellar center. This suggests active interaction between a nebula and a molecular cloud, like a burrowing motion.
The findings are also shedding light on mysterious radio ring galaxies, Odd Radio Circles (ORCs), and LMC-ORC, with unknown origins. The Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) and MeerKAT are precursors to the upcoming Square Kilometre Array (SKA), which will enhance our ability to detect low surface brightness objects and uncover more cosmic structures.
Source: https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/science-technology/astronomers-uncover-mysterious-ghosts-of-the-radio-universe