Friday, October 16, 2026

A Radio Phoenix Beyond the Zone of Avoidance

This composite image shows the Treble Clef, an unusual and remarkable radio wave formation beyond the Milky Way's Zone of Avoidance. The Zone of Avoidance is opaque in optical light, but not in radio, infrared, and x-rays. Astronomers used the Chandra X-ray observatory and SRG/eROSITA to study the object, revealing its nature and its history. Image Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/INAF-IRA/A. Botteon et al.; Infrared: UKIDSS-GPS ; Radio: ASTRON/LOFAR; Image processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/N. Wolk

Years ago, astronomers spotted a strange radio formation beyond the Zone of Avoidance. The formation resembles a treble clef, a symbol in musical notation, and the nickname has stuck. Determining what created it has been difficult, but new research has revealed that the Treble Clef is a radio phoenix.



No comments:

Post a Comment