Overview
A team of astronomers led by Jennifer West, a Research Associate at the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, has demonstrated a bold claim that suggests the entire solar system may be surrounded by a massive, magnetic tunnel. Their conclusions are based on two major structures in the sky: the North Polar Spur and the Fan Region.
The science and other stuff to know
Astronomers first discovered the North Polar Spur and the Fan Region in the ’60s. Made up of charged particles and a magnetic field, they are shaped like long ropes. They are located about 350 light-years from Earth and are about 1,000 light-years long.
While scientists have argued that these two structures are reportedly unconnected, a team of researchers at the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics beg to differ. In a study published in the Astrophysical Journal, Jennifer West, the lead author of the study, suggests that the North Polar Spur and Fan Region are actually connected. She adds that the two structures are a part of a huge, tunnel-like magnetic field surrounding our solar system.
“Astronomers have long been puzzled by what these structures are,” West said in a press release. “If we were to look up in the sky, we would see this tunnel-like structure in just about every direction we looked. That is if we had eyes that could see radio light.”
To come to the conclusion, West and her team built a computer simulation map of the Milky Way that saw it reoriented in relation to Earth. This reorientation made it easier to visualize the link between the North Polar Spur and the Fan Region.
“Magnetic fields don’t exist in isolation,” she said. “They all must connect to each other.”
So what?
The team’s finding not only brings new insight to the science community but also offers a deeper understanding of the galaxy. “I think it’s just awesome to imagine these structures are everywhere,” West said.
What’s next?
West and her colleagues are now planning on completing even more complex modeling in the future. Their mission is to uncover and understand what role the magnetic tunnel plays in the galaxy. Recently, another group of astronomers revealed the largest 3D map of the universe ever.
