Cosmic Dust Mapping Consortium Produces High-Resolution, Multi-Dimensional Depiction of Galactic Dust Materials
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The Max Planck Institute for Astronomy has unveiled a comprehensive, three-dimensional map of cosmic dust in our very own Milky Way galaxy. This astounding creation uses an astonishing 130 million spectra from the European Space Agency's Gaia mission to shine a light on the properties of the dust, which tends to obscure our view of the cosmos.
The newly crafted 3D map showcases areas where the "extinction" of light is heavily influenced by dust, as well as regions where the impact is less significant. The research team's findings were revealed today in the journal Science.
Cosmic dust can distort our perspective of stars and other celestial bodies, causing them to appear reddish and dimmer than their true selves. This effect is also known as extinction, or the process by which background light is absorbed and scattered by intermediary objects, like dust grains.
For the map, the researchers drew from 220 million spectra released by the Gaia mission in June 2022, carefully selecting 130 million stars they deemed suitable for their dust analysis.
Utilizing a neural network, a sophisticated machine learning system modeled after the processes of brain neurons, the team generated spectra based on the properties of the smaller group of stars and the characteristics of dust itself.
The graphic below displays the extinction curve caused by dust around our solar system, stretching up to a staggering 8,000 light-years in every direction. Regions of red demonstrate where the extinction of light is heavily dependent on the light's wavelength, while areas of blue show where the extinction is less sensitive to wavelength variations.
Grey contouring highlights areas of higher dust density in the map. In case the graphic fails to convey the breathtaking expanse of this part of the universe, take a peek at the Webb Space Telescope's awe-inspiring image of the Carina Nebula (located at the bottom of the above image).
Interestingly, the 3D map also revealed that the extinction curve for denser regions of dust, roughly equivalent to more than 20 pounds (10 kilograms) of dust in a sphere with Earth's radius, was steeper than anticipated. The researchers speculate that the steep curve might be the result of an abundant form of hydrocarbon in the universe—a theory they aim to explore further through additional observations.
Since its launch in July 2014, the Gaia telescope has collected well over three trillion observations of the Milky Way, finishing its operation in January 2025. The data Gaia gathered allowed scientists to construct the most accurate representation of our galaxy as seen from an outside perspective in January. Yet, mapping is not all Gaia did: It has also made remarkable strides in black hole research, helping identify the heaviest stellar-mass black hole in April 2024 and discovering the closest-known black hole to Earth in 2022.
- The researchers employed a neural network, mimicking brain neurons, to generate spectra based on the properties of the dust and the selected stars.
- The newly created 3D map identified regions where the extinction of light is heavily influenced by dust, depicting areas of higher dust density with grey contouring.
- The team revealed that the extinction curve for denser regions of dust in their 3D map is steeper than anticipated, suggesting an abundant form of hydrocarbon in the universe.
- In the future, astronomers may use technology and research findings to explore the presence of this potentially abundant hydrocarbon, providing hope for a deeper understanding of the cosmos.
