00:00Magnetic fields are all around us.
00:05In fact, our planet has a magnetosphere that protects us from the harmful radiation of space.
00:10But now astronomers say they've just detected the largest magnetic fields ever.
00:14Universe Today reports that the most massive magnetic fields form what's often referred to as the cosmic web,
00:19or giant tendrils of magnetic energy connecting galactic superclusters.
00:23Up until now this has been largely theoretical, but experts say now they've actually detected them.
00:28These magnetic fields aren't like many detectable things in the universe,
00:31because they don't give off light, which our telescopes or other sensors can detect.
00:35Instead, we have to look at their interactions with charged particles we can detect.
00:38When charged particles like electrons come into contact with these magnetic fields,
00:42they spiral along their field lines, causing the particles to emit radio light.
00:46So by tracking these particles' light emissions, specifically their polarized radio light,
00:51astronomers have effectively mapped these gigantic magnetic fields,
00:54revealing the first detectable signs of a vast network of magnetic field lines spanning millions of light years,
01:00and getting us one step closer to understanding the universe.
01:03...
01:10...
01:15...
01:16...
01:17...
01:18...
Comments