Strange Celestial Object: Astronomers Discover Two Potential Polar Ring Galaxies
A team of astronomers has made a remarkable discovery, encountering two potential polar ring galaxies. These celestial objects possess a unique ring formation that is oriented at a 90-degree angle compared to other stars and the main disk of the galaxy.
The finding challenges the notion that polar ring galaxies are rare and suggests that they may be more common than previously believed. “Polar ring galaxies are some of the most spectacular looking galaxies in the universe,” said Nathan Deg, team co-leader and researcher at Queen’s University. “These findings suggest that one to three percent of nearby galaxies may have gaseous polar rings, which is much higher than suggested by optical telescopes.”
The two galaxies in question have been identified as NGC 4632 and NGC 6156. NGC 4632 is located approximately 56 million light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Virgo, while NGC 6156 is situated around 150 million light-years away in the constellation of Ara. The ring features of these galaxies cannot be observed through visible light. Instead, radio observations were crucial in revealing their presence.
Scientists speculate that the rings of stars and gas surrounding these galaxies are formed during mergers, where a larger galaxy absorbs a smaller one. In this process, the gravitational forces between the two galaxies result in the matter from one galaxy being dragged into a stream by the other. The discovery of potentially more common polar ring galaxies indicates that these mergers occur with greater frequency in the universe than previously thought.
Further study of polar ring galaxies may shed light on dark matter, a mysterious substance that constitutes around 85 percent of the matter in the universe. By investigating these unique galaxies, scientists hope to gain a better understanding of the elusive dark matter and its role in the universe.
The team’s unexpected findings have illustrated the significance of conducting extensive sky mapping. “This is serendipity at its best: we found things we certainly didn’t expect to find,” said Kristine Speakers, research co-leader and scientist at Queen’s University.
Jayanne English, a scientist from the University of Manitoba and a member of the discovery team, employed multiple colors in her analysis to depict the motion occurring within the polar rings. Color gradients within the rings reveal distinct orbital motions of the gas. Regions exhibiting a purple hue at the base of the disk indicate movement towards Earth, while white regions at the peak signify motion away from us. English noted that this motion provides valuable insights into the evolution of galaxies over time.
To further verify the nature of these galaxies, researchers plan to investigate NGC 4632 and NGC 6156 using a wide range of telescopes.
The team’s findings were published on September 13 in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.