The eROSITA telescope, launched under the direction of the Max Planck Society, has created the largest and most detailed X-ray map of the sky within six months, from December 2019 to June 2020.
This study collected more than 170 million X-ray photons, which helped to detect almost 900,000 deep space objects, among which 700,000 are supermassive black holes and galaxy clusters.
Impressive breakthrough in X-ray astronomy
In a few months, eROSITA has discovered more space objects than NASA’s Chandra and XMM-Newton missions combined over the past 25 years. This was made possible by the telescope’s ability to capture high-energy X-rays that emanate from extremely hot gases in the remnants of supernovae, black holes and galaxy clusters.X-ray data provide a better understanding of the processes occurring in the most dynamic and mysterious corners of the Universe.
Outstanding finds: filament of the cosmic web
Among eROSITA’s discoveries is a 42 million light-year-long “filament” of hot gas connecting two galaxy clusters. This structure may be part of the “cosmic web,” a system of gas filaments that outline the shape of the Universe and feed the galaxies. This discovery has important consequences for understanding the nature of dark matter and the large-scale structure of the cosmos.
Mission impact and new research perspectives
More than 50 new scientific papers have already been published based on eROSITA results, adding to more than 200 previous studies. Andrea Merloni, the project leader, emphasized that the telescope had discovered more objects in a short period of time than other missions had in decades.
This study has not only greatly expanded our knowledge of supermassive black holes and galaxy clusters, but has also opened new paths for future research. ERosita has shown how energy processes and the structure of the Universe are linked, helping scientists better understand the evolution of the cosmos and prepare for new exploration missions.
The new X-ray map of the Universe will be an important tool for astronomers, paving the way for even deeper exploration of deep space.
We previously reported on how a dead star’s “fireball” confirmed a 30-year-old prediction.
According to physics-astronomy.com
