- A new study has revealed that hydrogen gas clouds surrounding galaxies are far more prevalent than previously understood.
- This discovery offers crucial insights into the “cosmic noon” period, 10 to 12 billion years ago, when star formation in galaxies was at its peak.
- Using the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, researchers identified over 33,000 gas halos, a significant increase from the approximately 3,000 previously detected.
- The newly found hydrogen halos vary in size and structure, ranging from simple, football-shaped clouds to large, irregular formations encompassing multiple galaxies.
- Scientists aim to study these halos in detail to better comprehend the sources of the universe's 'missing' hydrogen and to refine models of early galaxy evolution.
IN FULL
Astronomers may have finally found where universe’s ‘missing’ hydrogen is hidden
