"MeerKAT Telescope Discovers 49 New Galaxies in Record Time"

Astronomers using the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa discovered 49 new gas-rich galaxies in just three hours, dubbing them the "forty-niners." The galaxies were found while studying star-forming gas in a single radio galaxy, demonstrating the telescope's power in revealing star-forming gas. Many of the newfound galaxies are located in close proximity to each other and form galaxy groups, with three in particular capturing the researchers' interest due to their interconnected gas content. The team's research was published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, and they hope to continue sharing more discoveries of new gas-rich galaxies with the wider community.