An international team of researchers, using data from the Gaia space telescope, has recorded for the first time a giant wave passing through the disc of our galaxy. This discovery could change scientists’ understanding of the dynamics and evolution of the Milky Way. The study was published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.
According to the European Space Agency, the wave spreads from the centre of the galaxy to its edges, covering an area of 30,000 to 65,000 light years. Thanks to a three-dimensional map based on observations of young giant stars and Cepheids, astronomers were able to see vertical oscillations in the structure of the disc — signs that the Milky Way is literally ‘breathing.’
The study was led by Eloisa Pajot of the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics. Scientists noticed that the stars move synchronously, as if oscillating in rhythm with the interstellar gas. This indicates the existence of a large-scale wave forming within the galactic disc.
According to experts, such waves may be the result of gravitational disturbances — for example, collisions between the Milky Way and other galaxies or the influence of dark matter. The new discovery helps to gain a deeper understanding of how our galaxy was formed and continues to change.
