Imaging using the the MUSE spectrograph on the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope reveals a universe full of gently glowing hydrogen clouds.
ESA/HUBBLE & NASA, ESO/ LUTZ WISOTZKI ET AL
|
This calming picture shows myriad galaxies amidst the soft glow of hydrogen gas caused by a well known process called Lyman Alpha emission (light). Essentially the hydrogen left over from the Big Bang fills the observable Universe and is constantly being energized from a lower to higher energy state causing the glow.
The hydrogen "cocoons" surround ancient galaxies in the early and distant Universe. This discovery will allow new observations of these clouds and their galaxies.
So the next time you look up at a dark, moonless sky, imagine the soft glow of hydrogen that fills our Universe.
Sky Guy in VA
No comments:
Post a Comment