A powerful shock wave was recorded in the Universe
It was like the “sonic boom of a fighter jet.”
Astronomers have recorded one of the most powerful shock waves ever seen. It was caused by the galaxy NGC 7318b, which crashed into four of its neighbors, moving at a speed of 3.2 million km/h. This stunning cosmic event took place in Stefan's quintet
According to livescience, the entry of NGC 7318b into the system created an extremely powerful shock front, similar to the “sonic rumble of a fighter jet.” Researchers hope that by studying it they will be able to understand more about the violent and chaotic interactions between galaxies. They published their findings in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
“Essentially, this is a huge intergalactic debris field. The new intruder NGC7318b crashed into the debris field and compressed the plasma and…
