Produced by: Tarun Mishra
The European Space Agency's Gaia space telescope has uncovered two ancient streams of stars within the Milky Way galaxy, shedding light on its early formation.
Named Shiva and Shakti, these celestial formations date back over 12 billion years, preceding even the oldest parts of the Milky Way's spiral arms and disc, offering insights into the galaxy's origins.
Khyati Malhan of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy expressed astonishment at the ability to detect these ancient structures, highlighting the remarkable data provided by Gaia.
Gaia's observations enabled researchers to determine the orbits, content, and composition of individual stars within the Milky Way, leading to the discovery of the Shiva and Shakti streams.
Each stream carries the mass of about 10 million Suns, with stars aged between 12 to 13 billion years, exhibiting similar orbits and compositions, suggesting they merged with the Milky Way in its early history.
Gaia's exploration of the galaxy's heart revealed the oldest stars, lacking heavier metal elements, leading to the identification of the 'poor old heart' of the Milky Way.
Named after a divine couple from Hindu philosophy, Shiva and Shakti symbolize the creation of the Universe, reflecting the streams' role in the Milky Way's formation.
This discovery enhances our understanding of the Milky Way's formative years and contributes to filling gaps in our knowledge of cosmic history, aligning with Gaia's mission to uncover our galaxy's infancy.