Astronomers have captured the most detailed view ever of the center of our Milky Way galaxy, revealing a tangled web of cold gas filaments where new stars are born.
The image was created using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), a powerful network of radio telescopes high in Chile’s Atacama Desert.
The result is the largest image ALMA has ever produced, offering scientists an unprecedented look at one of the most extreme environments in our galaxy.
The new image focuses on a region known as the Central Molecular Zone, a dense and chaotic area surrounding the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole.
This zone spans more than 650 light-years and is packed with thick clouds of gas and dust. These materials are the raw ingredients for star formation, but conditions here are far more intense than in the calmer outer parts of the galaxy.
Because this region is relatively close to Earth compared with the centers of other galaxies, astronomers can study it in extraordinary detail.
The ALMA CMZ Exploration Survey, known as ACES, mapped cold molecular gas across the entire area for the first time.
The observations reveal long, thread-like filaments of gas flowing through space, feeding dense clumps where new stars may form.
The survey also detected a surprising variety of molecules within the gas clouds. These range from simple substances to more complex organic chemicals, providing clues about the chemistry that shapes star birth. Scientists believe these gas filaments act like cosmic rivers, channeling material into star-forming regions. While similar processes occur elsewhere in the Milky Way, the extreme pressure, radiation, and gravity near the galactic center make everything more dramatic.
The Central Molecular Zone is home to some of the most massive stars in our galaxy. These stars burn through their fuel quickly and often end their lives in powerful explosions called supernovae, or even more energetic hypernovae. Such violent events can reshape the surrounding gas and influence future generations of stars. By studying this region, researchers hope to understand how stars form under extreme conditions and whether current theories still apply.
Scientists also see the Milky Way’s core as a window into the distant past. Many galaxies in the early universe experienced chaotic bursts of star formation similar to what is happening now in the CMZ. Learning how stars form in this environment could therefore help explain how galaxies grew and evolved billions of years ago.
Creating the image required stitching together many individual observations, like assembling pieces of a giant cosmic puzzle. When viewed in the sky, the mosaic would stretch across an area about three times the width of the full moon. Researchers say they expected detailed results but were still amazed by the complexity revealed.
Future upgrades to ALMA and new telescopes, including the Extremely Large Telescope now under construction, will allow scientists to explore this region even more deeply. For now, the new image offers a breathtaking glimpse into the hidden, turbulent heart of our galaxy—and marks just the beginning of a new era in understanding how stars and galaxies are born.
Source: KSR.
