Two giant radio galaxies have been discovered with South Africa's powerful MeerKAT telescope. These galaxies are thought to be amongst the largest sin..
Jan 18, 2021
Two giant radio galaxies have been discovered with South Africa’s powerful MeerKAT telescope. These galaxies are amongst the largest single objects in the universe and are thought to be quite rare.
The discovery has been published online in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
The detection of two of these monsters by MeerKat, in a relatively small patch of sky suggests that these scarce giant radio galaxies may actually be much more common than previously thought. This gives astronomers vital clues about how galaxies have changed and evolved throughout cosmic history.
Many galaxies have supermassive black holes residing in their midst. When large amounts of interstellar gas start to orbit and fall in towards the black hole, the black hole becomes ‘active’ and huge amounts of energy are released from this region of the galaxy.
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The two giant radio galaxies found with the MeerKAT telescope. In the background is the sky as seen in optical light. Overlaid in red is the radio light from the enormous radio galaxies, as seen by MeerKAT. Photo: Dr Ian Heywood (Oxford/Rhodes/SARAO)
Researchers make astonishing galactic find with SAâs MeerKAT telescope
By Robin-Lee Francke
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Cape Town - Researchers are floating on cloud nine after two giant radio galaxies were discovered using South Africaâs powerful MeerKAT telescope.
The MeerKAT telescope is located in the Karoo region of South Africa and comprises 64 radio dishes. It was inaugurated in July 2018.
As the world battles Covid-19, women and girls in Africa are fighting their own parallel battle that has been raging for ages: endemic gender-based violence (GBV).
Unfortunately (but as usual), commemorations of the 16 Days of Activism Against GBV happened amid reports, once again, of an alarming increase in violence against women. The United Nations has called it the “shadow pandemic”.
The United Nations Population Fund believes that violence against women and girls is perpetuated and maintained by the persistence of harmful gender norms, alcohol and drug abuse, and overall increased poverty. However, the Covid-19 pandemic and associated lockdown measures add an extra layer, placing victims of GBV in perpetual proximity to abusers and away from access to justice.