Unlocking the Mysteries of The Brick: A Surprising New Discovery at the Heart of our Galaxy
The enigmatic Brick, a cloud of dust at the heart of our galaxy, has baffled scientists for years Recent observations by Webb deepen the mystery, potentially challenging our understanding of star formation Discoveries surrounding carbon monoxide and the elusive location of stars add to the intrigue
Subscribe to CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter for the latest news on captivating discoveries, scientific progress, and more. Delve into the mysteries of the universe with us. Recent observations have revealed new details about the composition of a box-shaped cloud of opaque dust at the heart of our galaxy, leaving scientists puzzled and potentially revolutionizing our understanding of star formation.
The cloud, known as "the Brick" due to its solid, rectangular shape and impenetrable appearance, was initially believed to contain over 100,000 times the mass of the sun. Based on current understanding of star formation, such a dense mass should be producing a large number of new stars.
However, it is not doing so.
The Brick appears mostly inactive, with recent James Webb Space Telescope observations showing no signs of hidden, young stars. However, the new data has revealed that the Brick is not just composed of gas, but also contains a surprisingly high amount of frozen carbon monoxide. A study published in The Astrophysical Journal on Monday also noted the presence of ice forming deeper within the Brick.
The implications of these findings could be profound for the future analysis of this region by scientists. The discovery of more carbon monoxide inside the Brick has the potential to significantly alter the way researchers observe and quantify dark clouds at the center of the Milky Way.
Combining infrared observations from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope with visible-light data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has created this panchromatic view of galaxy cluster MACS0416. In this image, blue represents the shortest wavelengths of light, red for the longest wavelengths, and green for intermediate wavelengths. The resulting wavelength coverage, ranging from 0.4 to 5 microns, offers a vibrant display of galaxies, making it one of the most colorful views of the universe ever created.
NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI
The new image captured by Hubble and Webb displays a stunning Cosmic Christmas tree. "We are now gaining a better understanding of what is occurring in the Brick and where the mass is located," stated Adam Ginsburg, an astronomer from the University of Florida and the study's lead author. "However, this has raised more questions than it has answered."
There are unanswered questions about this region, such as why and where carbon monoxide is freezing into ice. Additionally, mysteries remain about why new stars are not forming, the density of the Brick, and the unusual ridge- and filament-like features within it.
"We have more to investigate before we can really be sure whats going on," Ginsburg said. "I would say were in the hypothesis-forming phase, not the drawing conclusions phase."
What Webb revealed
In September 2022, Ginsburg and fellow researchers, including University of Florida graduate students, obtained the new Webb data, marking a significant moment. The Webb telescope, known for its unparalleled power, held the potential to provide unprecedented understanding of the Brick. However, the initial analysis by Ginsburg and his team revealed that the data required extensive adjustment. The telescope utilizes a map to orient itself, determining its direction by referencing its position in relation to known stars.
Ginsburg explained that the challenge arose from the abundance of stars at the galactic center, causing confusion. Consequently, the researchers devoted months to data cleanup and alignment with the existing sky maps.
This artist's concept illustrates the new view of the Milky Way, along with other findings presented at the 212th American Astronomical Society meeting in St. Louis, Mo.
JPL-Caltech/NASA
Webb telescope spots the most distant Milky Way-like galaxy yet
Then, as they peered at the Brick, they found that the images from Webb were turning out the wrong color.
"The stars were appearing bluer than expected," Ginsburg explained, leading researchers to question the accuracy of the data. However, it was later revealed that the discrepancy was due to the abundance of carbon monoxide ice, which was not anticipated by the scientists. This discovery was reported in the study as the reason for the shift in color."
Dr. Natalie Butterfield, an assistant scientist at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, who was not part of the study, highlighted the potential far-reaching impact of the discovery of the ice on research into the center of the Milky Way. She expressed that her own research, which involves studying supernovae and radiation between star systems, could be significantly influenced by the newfound understanding of carbon monoxide ice. This discovery could lead to a shift in how scientists estimate the mass of all the clouds in the galactic center.
The significance of carbon monoxide lies in its perplexing behavior as an ice. Despite typically freezing at 20 Kelvin, the area in question is relatively warm at around 60 Kelvin (minus 351.67 degrees Fahrenheit).
One possibility is that the dust inside the Brick is significantly colder than the gas, leading the carbon monoxide surrounding the dust particles to solidify. Alternatively, Ginsburg suggested that the freezing of water could be capturing carbon monoxide within.
The artist's concept of Comet 238P/Read illustrates the sublimation of its water ice as it approaches the Sun, creating the distinctive tail and hazy halo that sets comets apart from asteroids. The detection of water vapor at Comet Read by the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope is a significant milestone in the study of main belt comets and the broader investigation of the Earth's water origin. [Image description: Close-up illustration of the rocky body of a comet, with detailed, cratered surface and glowing rays emanating from the rocky surface representing the vaporization of water ice by the Sun's heat.]
Webb telescope spots water in rare comet
The answer matters.
Studying the ice in regions like the Brick can provide scientists with valuable information about our solar system, including our own planet. For instance, the presence of ice and water on Earth is believed to have originated from comets. By examining the location and formation of ice in the universe, researchers can gain a better understanding of the origin and composition of these comets.
Where are the stars?
And then there is the big mystery of why there is a lack of star formation within the Brick.
Scientists are aware that new stars form from dust clouds and hydrogen molecules, but they are unable to directly observe the hydrogen molecules in the Brickor or anywhere else in the universe as they are invisible to telescopes. However, scientists have found that for every hydrogen molecule, there is likely a certain amount of carbon monoxide, which is visible and can be measured as a proxy for identifying the presence of hydrogen molecules in a specific area.
Researchers have been using this method for measuring hydrogen molecules for 50 years, Ginsburg said.
There are approximately 500,000 stars in this image of the Sagittarius C region of the Milky Way. The bright cyan area contains emissions from ionized hydrogen.
NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI
The Webb telescope has captured a previously unseen view of the center of the Milky Way. Scientists had always believed that the carbon monoxide in this region was in gas form, not solid ice as the Webb data has now shown. This discovery has brought about a completely new set of questions, according to Ginsburg.
Ginsburg emphasized the importance of researchers understanding whether carbon monoxide is in the gas or solid state in order to arrive at accurate conclusions.
Each new discovery about the Brick and its composition helps to explain why this opaque cloud, despite expectations, is not producing stars as one of the galaxy's most active star nurseries.
Ginsburg commented, "It's a highly natural environment for new stars. However, we've only discovered a minuscule number, hardly any at all." There are a few potential explanations that Ginsburg and other scientists are eager to investigate: It's possible that the Brick is more widely dispersed and less dense than previously assumed. Alternatively, it could be that the Brick is simply too young and has its star-forming era still ahead of it.
Ginsburg and Butterfield acknowledged that Webb can assist researchers in answering those questions. According to Butterfield, the telescope is truly remarkable and he anticipates that there will be numerous groundbreaking discoveries from the JWST regarding the galactic center.
