The existence of the protective shield, which scientists have been trying to prove for a long time, was proven for the first time with the Hubble Space Telescope.
In an article published in the journal Nature, researchers analyzed data from the Hubble Space Telescope and found that there is a protective shield around a dwarf galaxy.
“The galaxies are covered in gaseous cocoons that act as a defense shield against other galaxies,” said Andrew Fox, co-researcher at the University of Maryland Space Telescope Science Institute.
With the help of data from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and a retired satellite called the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE), astronomers have concluded that the Magellanic system is surrounded by a protective shield.
Scientists used a protective shield to explain why planets in the galaxy stay safe during collisions, but this theory has not been proven until now. According to new research, it has finally been proven that there is a vast cosmic buffer around galaxies. Composed entirely of gas, this cosmic buffer can absorb impacts.
By mapping the results, the team also discovered that the amount of gas decreases with distance from the center of the Large Magellanic Cloud. Dhanesh Krishnarao, an assistant professor at the University of Colorado, said, “It’s a perfect tell-tale signature that it’s really there. It really cocoons and protects the galaxy,” he said.
Asked how a thin blanket of gas protects a galaxy from destruction, Krishnarao explained, “Anything that tries to enter the galaxy must first pass through this material so it can absorb some of that impact.”
The Hubble Space Telescope was developed as a result of international collaboration between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). The telescope has been in service since 1990.
.