Interstellar Tunnel Near Solar System Could Link Us to Other Worlds

Millions of years ago, a series of supernova explosions is thought to have created a distinctive low-density region called the Local Hot Bubble (LHB). This massive cavity, spanning at least 1,000 light-years, contains our solar system and is heated to around a million degrees. However, due to the sparse atoms within it, the high temperature has minimal impact on objects inside.

Recently, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics made a surprising discovery within the LHB. Led by astrophysicists Michael Yeung and Michael Freyberg, the team identified what appears to be an interstellar tunnel leading towards the constellation Centaurus.

Their study, published in *Astronomy & Astrophysics*, utilized the eROSITA X-ray telescope, which operates 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, to capture detailed X-ray images of the LHB. By dividing the sky into 2,000 sections, the team analyzed each one and observed that the LHB is not a uniform sphere but rather aligns perpendicular to the galactic plane.

Freyberg noted that the bubble resembles a bipolar nebula, and their analysis revealed the presence of an interstellar tunnel. This tunnel appears to carve a path through the cooler interstellar medium toward Centaurus.

This discovery may validate a 1974 theory suggesting that the galaxy is filled with interconnected hot bubbles and tunnels, though no previous evidence confirmed this network. Researchers propose that this newly found tunnel could connect the LHB with another large bubble or possibly the Gum Nebula. The northern part of the tunnel appears hotter than the southern, indicating that recent supernovae may have reheated sections of the bubble.

Experts believe that identifying this tunnel suggests a larger network of hot bubbles and tunnels within the Milky Way, offering valuable insights into the galaxy’s past.