[Illusion]

Using data from NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, scientists have discovered a gigantic, mysterious structure in our galaxy. This never-before-seen feature looks like a pair of bubbles extending above and below our galaxy's center.

But these enormous gamma-ray emitting lobes aren't immediately visible in the Fermi all-sky map. By processing the data, a group of scientists was able to bring these unexpected structures into sharp relief.

Each lobe is 25,000 light-years tall and the whole structure may be only a few million years old. Within the bubbles, extremely energetic electrons are interacting with lower-energy light to create gamma rays, but right now, no one knows the source of these electrons.

Are the bubbles remnants of a massive burst of star formation? Leftovers from an eruption by the supermassive black hole at our galaxy's center? Or or did these forces work in tandem to produce them? Scientists aren't sure yet, but the more they learn about this amazing structure, the better we'll understand the Milky Way.

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[Illusion]

These images have been taken in Nov, 2010. Not sure if its been posted in here. Nasa has some kick ass pics!!

[mwt77932]

That's why I love science so much, something new is always being discovered.

[Steve]

Sooner or later we are going to have proof of other life forms out there.

[Xfactor]

This could prove that at the center of our galaxy is a black hole.

[Xfactor]

Yes I five starred this topic

[Illusion]

Originally Posted by Xfactor ↗

This could prove that at the center of our galaxy is a black hole.

All stars in the galaxy rotate around a black hole but not with the same period. The Sun is located in the outer part of the galaxy. The speed of the solar system due to the galactic rotation is about 220 km/s. The disk of stars in the Milky Way is about 100,000 light years across and the sun is located about 30,000 light years from the galaxy's center. Based on a distance of 30,000 light years and a speed of 220 km/s, the Sun's orbit around the center of the Milky Way once every 225 million years. The period of time is called a cosmic year. The Sun has orbited the galaxy, more than 20 times during its 5 billion year lifetime.