The Bullseye Galaxy (LEDA 1313424), 567 million light-years away, features nine star rings formed from a galactic collision. This rare structure, 2.5 times larger than the Milky Way, offers insights into galaxy evolution and dark matter, as the rings help trace dark matter’s distribution and influence on galactic formation.
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A team of international researchers discovered a galaxy with nine rings.
Astronomers discover a massive galaxy named LEDA 1313424, nicknamed the "Bullseye Galaxy," located 567 million light-years away in the Pisces constellation.
This galaxy, 2.5 times larger than our Milky Way with a diameter of 250,000 light-years, stands out because it has nine glowing rings of stars. No other known galaxy has so many rings—most have two or three at most. These rings form after a smaller blue dwarf galaxy smashes through the Bullseye’s core about 50 million years ago.
The nine rings make the Bullseye Galaxy a cosmic rarity. NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope spots eight rings, while the W.M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii confirms a ninth. Scientists suspect a tenth ring once existed but faded over time.mc
3These rings reveal how galaxies evolve. The collision compresses gas, initiating star formation, and the rings move both inward and outward, reshaping the galaxy.
The Bullseye Galaxy may unlock secrets about dark matter, an invisible substance making up about 30% of the universe’s mass-energy. Dark matter doesn’t emit or absorb light, but its gravity holds galaxies together. The galaxy’s rings act like tracers, helping astronomers map dark matter’s distribution.
Studying these rings helps test theories about dark matter’s behavior, potentially revealing how it shapes galaxies.
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PRACTICE QUESTION Q. Which phenomenon best explains the observed flat rotation curve of the Milky Way Galaxy? A) Keplerian motion governed by visible matter alone B) Presence of a supermassive black hole at the galactic center C) Dark matter halo influencing gravitational potential D) Relativistic effects due to high stellar velocities Answer: C Explanation: The Milky Way’s flat rotation curve, where stars and gas maintain constant speeds (220 km/s) far from the center, defies expectations of slower orbits based on visible matter alone (Keplerian motion). A dark matter halo, an invisible mass surrounding the galaxy, adds the gravitational pull needed to keep these velocities steady. The supermassive black hole at the center affects only nearby regions, and relativistic effects don’t apply to stellar speeds. Dark matter, making up most of the galaxy’s mass, is the key cause. |
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