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Simulating the evolutionary history of the enigmatic spiral object
Located approximately 26,000 light-years away from Earth and in close proximity to the galactic core, this star boasts a colossal mass 32 times that of our Sun, ensconced within a colossal gas disk known as a circumstellar disk. The circumstellar disk itself spans about 4,000 times the distance from the Earth to the Sun, as reported by Space.com on June 24.
Circumstellar disks are widespread throughout the universe, acting as the fueling stations for young stars to develop into entities akin to our Sun over millions of years. However, astronomers have never before witnessed a circumstellar disk presented in this unique manner, resembling a miniature spiral galaxy, orbiting in such proximity to our galactic center.
How did this spiral galaxy-like version end up in this region, and are there similar objects beyond? The answer may lie with an enigmatic entity lurking outside the orbit of the circumstellar disk, as reported in the Nature Astronomy journal.
Thanks to the ALMA astronomical observatory in Chile, the research team has deduced that the spiral arms of the circumstellar disk are remnants of an alien object that once intruded the vicinity of the Milky Way’s core in the past, as stated by co-author Lu Xing, a researcher from the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory (China).
Apart from providing the first direct images of a circumstellar disk at the heart of the Milky Way, the study suggests that foreign objects during their incursion into the galactic center can influence the circumstellar disks, causing them to take on spiral shapes previously observed only on a galactic scale.
The team of scientists also posits that the core of the Milky Way likely contains numerous circumstellar disks similar to the recently discovered object, awaiting further exploration by humankind.