Milky Way’s neighbouring galaxy 63,000 light yrs away
9 March 2013 5:24 AM IST
Astronomers have for the first time accurately measured the distance to one of the Milky Way’s neighbouring galaxy - and it is just 163,000 light-years away. Scientists using telescopes at European Southern Observatory’s La Silla Observatory in Chile as well as others around the globe found the nearby dwarf galaxy called the Large Magellanic Cloud lies 163,000 light-years away.
The new measurement improves scientists’ knowledge of the rate of expansion of the Universe - the Hubble Constant - and is a crucial step towards understanding the nature of the mysterious dark energy that is causing the expansion to accelerate.
‘I am very excited because astronomers have been trying for a hundred years to accurately measure the distance to the Large Magellanic Cloud,’ said Wolfgang Gieren from Universidad de Concepcion, Chile.
The new measurement improves scientists’ knowledge of the rate of expansion of the Universe - the Hubble Constant - and is a crucial step towards understanding the nature of the mysterious dark energy that is causing the expansion to accelerate.
‘I am very excited because astronomers have been trying for a hundred years to accurately measure the distance to the Large Magellanic Cloud,’ said Wolfgang Gieren from Universidad de Concepcion, Chile.
Next Story
