The Whale Galaxy called NGC 4631 is in the attention of astronomers because of an extraordinary discovery. The astronomers have seen filaments that look like hair, in the magnetic field of the Whale Galaxy.
The galaxy has a lot of stars that, in pictures, have a pink color. The filaments are blue and green, and they overstep the galaxy’s magnetic field into the aura. This incredible discovery is the first one to be seen in the aura of a galaxy. The two distinctive filaments have different orientations at the same time. The green ones are pointing through us, while the blue one is leading in the opposite direction.
The phenomenon is practically a large-scale of a magnetic field situated in the aura of a spiral galaxy. The two areas are located in the same direction, but they are apart by thousand light-years. A team of astronomers leads the project named the Continuum Halos in Nearby Galaxies from EVLA Survey, and in charge is Judith Irwin from Queen’s University in Ontario.
The Whale Galaxy and Its Magnetic Filaments
Moreover, Richard Henriksen from Queen’s University is saying that the search of the astronomers can lead to many conclusions and observations regarding the nature of the galaxies. But searching and seeing so many phenomenons, they are reaching some findings from time to time.
This is the case now, where a fundamental theory comes to life. From the Galaxy NGC 4631, they have seen the same pattern of the dynamos. Dynamos are magnetic generators that are producing spiraling magnetic fields in the aura of a galaxy.
Finally, all the data, pictures, and information were possible thanks to the VLA antennas, which are catching the radio waves from the galaxies. The astronomers are also excited to try the same technique with other galaxies they have questions about. The Whale Galaxy is smaller than the Milky Way, and it’s at a distance of 25 million light-years from our planet.
