A recent study using the MeerKAT telescope has produced a striking image of the IC4296 galaxy that revealed some unprecedented cosmic features. The IC4296 galaxy is well studied and has had many pictures of it made before, however, the picture by MeerKAT gives great detail, the threads, ribbons and rings. (see image below)

 The Fanaroff-Riley Type I radio galaxy IC 4296 dominates this spectacular vista, wider than the full moon on the sky. MeerKAT radio data are represented in red/orange hues in this composite view. The visible light image from the SuperCOSMOS Sky Survey shows the central giant elliptical galaxy, as well as numerous unrelated galaxies and foreground stars in the Milky Way. Credit: SARAO, SSS, S. Dagnello and W. Cotton (NRAO/AUI/NSF). Adapted from J. Condon et al., “Threads, Ribbons, and Rings in the Radio Galaxy IC 4296” (The Astrophysical Journal, in press).

Other accounts of the galaxy

These new features that are continually detected by MeerKAT allow comprehension of how much of the cosmos we will be able to explore with the much larger SKA array that MeerKat will form part of. These are indeed exciting times in cosmic exploration.

Read the press release here.

Listen to an interview of one of the article contributors here.