The team - led by Professor Joss Bland-Hawthorn from Australia - used data gathered by the Hubble Space Telescope to help understand the evolution of the galaxy. They say that a cataclysmic energy flare ripped through our galaxy some 3.5 million years ago. The massive blast of energy and radiation, known as a Sifter flare, was so powerful that its impact was felt 200,000 light-years from our galaxy.<\/p>\n
The flare created two enormous \"ionisation cones\" that sliced through the Milky Way.<\/p>\n
Mr Bland-Hawthorn, who also works at the University of Sydney said that \"the flare must have been a bit like a lighthouse beam\".<\/p>\n
He added: Imagine darkness, and then someone switches on a lighthouse beacon for a brief period of time.<\/p>\n
Professor Lisa Kewley, Director of ASTRO 3D said: A massive blast of energy and radiation came right out of the galactic centre and into the surrounding material.<\/p>\n
This shows that the centre of the Milky Way is a much more dynamic place than we had previously thought. It is lucky were not residing there!<\/p>\n
The discovery that the Milky Ways centre was more powerful than previously thought, is leading to new ideas on the evolution of the Milky Way.<\/p>\n
Magma Guglielmo from the University of Sydney, said: \"These results dramatically change our understanding of the Milky Way.<\/p>\n
\"We always thought about our Galaxy as an inactive galaxy, with a not so bright centre.<\/p>\n
JUST IN'Monster' black hole 10 times size of Sun is lurking in galaxy<\/p>\n
It is a barred spiral galaxy with a diameter between 150,000 and 200,000 light-years and is estimated to contain 100400 billion stars and more than 100 billion planets.<\/p>\n
The oldest stars in the Milky Way are nearly as old as the Universe itself and thus probably formed shortly after the Dark Ages of the Big Bang.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year scientists were astonished to discover that the giant blackhole at the centre of the Milky Way, Sagittarius A, had suddenly become active after years of being dormant.<\/p>\n
The blackhole, which is 4.3 million times bigger than the Sun, has been feeding itself at an unprecedented rate, consuming huge amounts of gas, dust and anything in its vicinity.<\/p>\n
Scientists became curious when they discovered it glowing twice as brightly as normal, with a surreal light emanating outside its point of no return beyond which no matter can escape.<\/p>\n
Andrea Ghez, UCLA professor of physics and astronomy: \"We have never seen anything like this in the 24 years we have studied the supermassive black hole.<\/p>\n
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Read the original here:<\/p>\n
Space shock: Astronomers discover stunning 'lighthouse beam' with answers to start of life - Express.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The team - led by Professor Joss Bland-Hawthorn from Australia - used data gathered by the Hubble Space Telescope to help understand the evolution of the galaxy. Continue reading