Scientists unveiled the source of gas sorrounding the Milky Way’s disc

Veil of fiery gas revealed.

23 Nov, 2024

This illustration shows the various components of the Milky Way. The spiral features at the centre represent the stellar disc. The stellar disc is surrounded by the newly discovered very hot gas in emission with puffed-up disc like structure. The blue region marks the extent of the two-million degrees Kelvin gas. The white line shows the direction along a background source (a quasar). Along this direction, a supernova from runaway star is shown with a bright blob which explains the absorption by the very hot gas. Credit: DST, India

The Milky Way galaxy contains more gas than stars, with this abundant gas serving as the main source for star formation. However, its diffuse nature makes it difficult for astronomers to observe and measure.

Studies conducted decades ago revealed that the galaxy is surrounded by a vast gas sphere heated to a few million degrees Kelvin and extending up to 700,000 light years. The galaxy’s gravity is believed to cause this intense heat.

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