Astronomers observe intra-group light, an elusive glow between distant galaxies
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Researchers not only detected the intra-group light but were able to study and tell the story of the stars that populate it.
An international team of astronomers have turned a new technique onto a group of galaxies and the faint light between them known as 'intra-group light' to characterise the stars that dwell there. Lead author of the study published in MNRAS, Dr Cristina Martinez-Lombilla from the School of Physics at UNSW Science, said "We know almost nothing about intra-group light. "The brightest parts of the intra-group light are ~50 times fainter than the darkest night sky on Earth. It is extremely hard to detect, even with the largest telescopes on Earth -- or in space." Using their sensitive technique, which eliminates light from all objects except that from t...