It was interesting to learn that some researchers have possibly spotted, directly, more filaments of the cosmos. These filaments are often obvious in computer simulations of the Universe's superstructure, web-like strands, connecting and tying together at the macroscopic level galaxy clusters.
A chance alignment of the powerful ultraviolet beam emitted from a distant quasar illuminated hydrogen gas.
It is not the first time observers have seen the tell-tales of filaments. But this time it is cold hydrogen emitting light. And the hydrogen cloud is huge, twice the size seen previously. It is thought that the hydrogen is not part of the host galaxy.
The energy from the quasar caused the electrically excited hydrogen to emit Lyman-alpha radiation. Large concentrations of gas emitting Lyman-alpha radiation are called blobs. Yep. Lyman-alpha blobs. And you can look that up!
Creds:
- Top image from Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, S. Cantalupo.
- Bottom image from European Southern Observatory, M. Hayes.
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