Hubble Finds Origin of Huge Cloud Crashing into our Galaxy

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SUMMARY

Recent observations from the Hubble Space Telescope have identified the origin of Smith's Cloud, a multi-million-solar-mass gas cloud predicted to collide with the Milky Way in approximately 27 million years. The cloud's peculiar shape suggests it may have been influenced by a fast-moving black hole, which could have stripped gas from the surrounding area. This finding enhances our understanding of galactic interactions and the dynamics of massive gas clouds within the Milky Way.

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In 2008, astronomers discovered that a multi-million-solar-mass cloud named Smith's Cloud would hit the Milky Way's disk in about 27 million years. Now new Hubble observations have identified the mysterious cloud's likely origin.

Link: New Scientist
 
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Likes   Reactions: MrBrandonius and Buzz Bloom
The abstract of the article is available here.

And a draft version can be found on arXiv.
 
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That cloud certainly has an odd shape, makes me wonder if one of the so far theoretical 'fast moving Galactic scale black hole' could have torn a chunk from the gas passing thru, the cloud has a sort of bunched up look, similar to cotton candy caught on a stick, the BH being said stick, yet it has obviously moved on fast enough that the could was stripped away from it's tenuous hold by the extremely hot gas and plasma surrounding the galaxy. Nice Find!
 

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