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A giant leap for science - Astronomers discover double rings in space
2025-10-15 16:51:30 / MISTERE&KURIOZITETE
An unusual double-ring structure observed in space with the help of scientists has turned out to be a rare cosmic phenomenon, writes CNN.
"The celestial anomaly, captured by a radio telescope, is a 'radio circle' or otherwise known as an ORC, one of the rarest and most mysterious structures in the universe," said Dr. Ananda Hota, lead author of a study published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
ORCs are likely made of magnetized plasma, a charged gas that is influenced by magnetic fields, and are so massive that entire galaxies are located at their centers. Spanning hundreds of thousands of light-years, they often reach 10 to 20 times the size of our Milky Way galaxy. But they are also incredibly faint and usually only visible through the light of radio telescopes.
"ORCs are among the strangest and most beautiful cosmic structures we've ever seen, and they may hold vital clues about how galaxies and black holes evolve," Hota wrote.
A giant leap for science
Strange radio circles or double rings were first discovered about six years ago, but the structures remained elusive.
ORC was distinguished by the Low Frequency Array Telescope (LOFAR), which consists of thousands of antennas in the Netherlands and across Europe and is the largest and most sensitive radio telescope operating at low frequencies.
Although RAD@home scientists were not specifically trained to look for double rings, the unusual ringed structure stood out, marking the first ORC identified using LOFAR. The rings appear to intersect, which the researchers believe is due to our vantage point from Earth, but they are likely separated in space.
"We believe that a powerful explosion occurred in the central galaxy," Hota said.
"The resulting shock wave or explosion may have reenergized the ancient clouds of magnetized plasma, causing them to shine again as double rings."
Black holes do not directly swallow stars, gas, and dust. Instead, this material falls into a rotating disk around the black hole. As the debris spins faster, it superheats. Powerful magnetic fields around black holes help these energetic, superheated particles fly away from the black hole in streams that nearly reach the speed of light.
Both ORCs are in galaxies that are located within larger clusters of galaxies, meaning that the jets emitted by their supermassive black holes interact with the surrounding hot plasma that could help shape the rings, Hota said.
The ongoing galactic enigma
This discovery allows researchers to look back in time. The team believes that the phenomenon could serve as a way to record and preserve the past, violent events that shaped galaxies billions of years ago.
Light from the ORC has traveled for 7.5 billion years to reach Earth and could provide insights into the roles that double rings play in the evolution of galaxies at different time periods.
"By studying them at different cosmic epochs, we can begin to uncover how such energetic explosions affect the surrounding gas and trigger star formation," Hota noted.
Many questions remain about double rings, including why astronomers only see them at such large scales.
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