The Largest Radio Galaxy Ever Found

Astronomers are discovering new galaxies during their research. In this regard, a team of astronomers has discovered a galaxy that is one of the largest galaxies in the universe that has been discovered so far; its size measures 16.3 million (1 crore and 63 lacs) light-years means 100 galaxies like our Milky Way can be accommodated in it. This galaxy, which is known as Alcyoneus, is three billion light-years away from us, and powerful radio rays are continuously emitted from it. So, it has been placed on the list of radio galaxies.

These radio galaxies emit radio waves much more than ordinary galaxies. The human eye can not see these radio rays, but a radio signal antenna can feel these kinds of radio rays. Alcyoneus Radion Galaxy was discovered long ago, but its extraordinary size was revealed while reviewing the observations of the greatest European project, LOFAR (Low-Frequency Array), in recent years.

Under the LOFAR Project, 20 thousand antennas have been installed at 52 different locations in Europe for celestial observations. The antennas combined to work like the biggest telescope. There are some huge radio galaxies which are called GRGs (Giant Radio Galaxies).

A team of experts from France, Germany, and South Africa, under the leadership of Martin Oei of Leiden University Holland, has begun to review these Giant Radio Galaxies already discovered with the help of the LOFAR Project, which is meant to search a great galaxy. Radio galaxies are like common galaxies, but a powerful plasma of charged particles bursts from the center of radio galaxies, making earlobe-like structures that spread millions of light-years away from the center of a radio galaxy.