Exceptionally rare radio sources detected in the distant universe

a year ago

Astronomers discovered a pair of radio relics, remnants of a collision between two galaxy groups, in cluster PSZ2 G181.06+48.47, located 963 million light-years from Earth.
The radio relics, glowing arcs of radio energy, are the largest known to date, spanning about 11 million light-years apart.
These relics formed from shockwaves generated by the collision, with the northern relic being brighter and polarized, while the southern one has a ghostly shape.
The cluster is in the final stages of a merger that began a billion years ago.
A faint glow at the cluster's center may be a 'radio halo,' caused by turbulence from the cosmic collision.
Fewer than 30 galaxy clusters with relic pairs have been detected, but future radio surveys could uncover more.
The cluster might receive a nickname based on its relic shapes, like the 'Eyebrows Cluster' or 'Air Quotes Cluster.'

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