Using data from the eROSITA All-Sky Survey, astronomers have created a 3D map of the low-density bubble of X-ray-emitting, million-degree hot gas that surrounds the solar system.
The investigation has revealed a large-scale temperature gradient within this bubble, called the Local Hot Bubble (LHB), meaning it contains both hot and cold spots. The team suspects that this temperature gradient may have been caused by exploding massive stars detonating in supernovas, causing the bubble to be reheated. This reheating would cause the pocket of low-density gas to expand.
