Astronomers discover a huge string of galaxies, “probably the largest rotating object ever seen”

Astronomers have discovered what they believe to be the “largest rotating object” ever discovered, and their rotation may contain important clues about how galaxies develop.

Located 140 million light-years from Earth, this spiral structure is a long string of gas that is approximately 5.5 million light-years long and 117,000 light-years wide, wider than the Milky Way. The cosmic filament has 14 hydrogen-rich galaxies chained together like charms on a bracelet. These galaxies reveal the existence of filaments, researchers explained in a paper published today (December 3) in the Monthly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society.

“The initial discovery itself was a surprise,” study co-lead author Lila Jung, an astronomer at the University of Oxford, told Live Science via email. “We noticed a nice row of galaxies shining at the same distance.” Jung and his colleagues were using MeerKAT, a network of 64 radio telescopes in South Africa, when they made this unusual discovery.

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After taking measurements, the researchers found that the filament itself appeared to be spinning at about 68 miles per second (110 kilometers per second). What’s more, the galaxies around it are rotating as well, most of them rotating in the same direction as the gaseous thread. This suggests that such structures may play an important role in galaxy formation by influencing the speed and direction of star cluster rotation.

Madalina Tudrache, an astronomer at the University of Oxford and a member of the research team, told Live Science that the filament is “probably the largest rotating object” astronomers have ever discovered. Such structures have long been predicted in simulations, but until recently there were no telescopes sensitive enough to detect them directly, she added.

The team believes similar rotating filaments may be discovered in the near future as researchers continue to reach deeper into the universe with next-generation telescopes. Many such filaments link together in a vast cosmic web that funnels matter throughout the universe, forming large clusters of interconnected galaxies.

The observations were collected as part of the ongoing MIGHTEE (MeerKAT International GHz Tiered Extragalectic Exploration) survey, led by Oxford physicist Matt Jarvis. Future MIGHTEE data could further elucidate the filament’s behavior and facilitate the discovery of other spinning cosmic threads. The discovery may also help inform future investigations with new instruments, such as those at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile.

“I think this is really helping us understand the universe,” Tudras said.