This image represents the most detailed map of the central part of the Milky Way, showing the distribution of dozens of both simple and complex molecules. The snapshot provides a unique insight into the cold gas that is the primary material for forming new stars.
Steve Longmore, a professor of astrophysics at Liverpool John Moores University, noted that this image helps to better understand the process of star and planet formation when they are in close proximity to each other. According to him, this is likely how most stars in the universe were formed.
The radio telescope that took this image is located on the high-altitude Chahantor plateau and consists of 66 mobile antennas. Scientists have the ability to change their configuration by moving the antennas up to 16 kilometers apart.
Previous studies by astronomers have revealed that there may be more than 100 stellar-mass black holes at the center of the Milky Way star cluster. According to scientists' calculations, these black holes influence the unusual structure of this cosmic object, creating a sparse core and a long "tail" of stars that extends for tens of thousands of light-years.
