Discovery of Gigantic Bubbles Above and Below the Milky Way

Astronomers have discovered two enormous “bubbles” extending 50,000 light-years above and below the Milky Way galaxy’s center, linked to the supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A, Earth.com reported. These structures, known as the Fermi and eRosita bubbles, were independently identified by telescopes in 2010 and 2020, respectively, and primarily emit gamma rays and X-rays.

Research indicates that these bubbles formed from a massive outburst millions of years ago, releasing significant energy. A study led by Mateusz Ruszkowski from the University of Michigan suggests that jets of material erupted from Sagittarius A around 2.6 million years ago, lasting approximately 100,000 years.

The findings challenge previous theories connecting the bubbles to supernova-driven starbursts, instead supporting the black hole outflow model. This discovery enhances our understanding of galaxy evolution, star formation, and the cosmic processes that shape our universe. The full study was published in the journal Nature Astronomy.