Scientists have captured a groundbreaking image of the “cosmic web” connecting two galaxies near the dawn of time, shedding new light on how structures form and evolve in the universe. The image, taken using 150 hours of observations, reveals a long filament of gas, dust, and dark matter stretching across millions of light-years.
Researchers from Italy and Germany used the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer instrument at the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope to capture a highly detailed portrait of the cosmic web. The team traced the boundary between the gas in galaxies and the material in the cosmic web through direct measurements for the first time.
The image supports the standard model of cosmology, which some researchers have questioned due to puzzling observations from the James Webb Space Telescope. However, the crisp image shows strong alignment with predictions, opening up new opportunities to study gas distribution in cosmic filaments and its impact on galaxy formation.
Further studies are planned to discover more filaments and gain a complete understanding of how gas flows within the cosmic web. This discovery provides insight into the universe’s largest structures and could help scientists better understand the role of dark matter in shaping the cosmos.
Source: https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/scientists-share-groundbreaking-image-of-the-cosmic-web-connecting-2-galaxies-near-the-dawn-of-time