"Unraveling the Enigma of the Milky Way's Oscillating Galactic Wave"

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Source: SciTechDaily
"Unraveling the Enigma of the Milky Way's Oscillating Galactic Wave"
Photo: SciTechDaily
TL;DR Summary

Astronomers have discovered a massive, wave-shaped chain of gaseous clouds in the Milky Way called the Radcliffe Wave, which not only looks like a wave but also moves like one, oscillating through space-time. This structure, located near our sun, is 9,000 light years long and just 500 light years away at its closest point. The discovery raises questions about the cause of the wave and its implications for understanding galactic dynamics, with researchers suggesting theories ranging from supernovae explosions to out-of-galaxy disturbances. The study also indicates that ordinary matter alone is enough to drive the wave's motion, and the oscillation of the Radcliffe Wave could imply that spiral arms of galaxies oscillate in general.

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