Scientists baffled by mystery sphere in space that could provide 'rare' universe insight
Featuring 'remarkable circular symmetry', the sphere is defying space theories and going against the logic of what scientists thought they knew about the universe. Experts have named the sphere 'Teleios', which means 'complete' or 'perfect' in ancient Greek and refers to its perfect shape.
It was first picked up by Australia's ASKAP telescope and is estimated to measure up to 157 light years wide.
Estimate to be either 7,100 or 25,100 light years from Earth, the researchers' calculations are the equivalent of thousands of trillions of miles.
The technology, named the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP), refers to an array of radio telescopes set in the country's Western Australia desert.
Of the sphere, an international team of scientists said: 'The most obvious characteristic of Teleios is its remarkable circular symmetry, coupled with a low surface brightness.'
Writing for The Conversation, they added: 'Teleios [is] named from the Greek Τελεɩοσ ('perfect') for its near-perfectly circular shape.
'This unique object has never been seen in any wavelength, including visible light, demonstrating ASKAP's incredible ability to discover new objects.'
Researchers are not sure exactly what the sphere is composed of, but theories of what it might be include a 'supernova remnant', a term for debris left over after a supernova.
That process is where a star explodes and launches debris and particles into space, which would mean the sphere could be made up of elements including carbon, oxygen, neon and silicon.
The experts said: 'Remarkably, Teleios has retained its symmetrical shape as it aged even to such a diameter.
'The shape indicates Teleios has remained relatively untouched by its environment. This presents us with an opportunity to make inferences about the initial supernova explosion, providing rare insight into one of the most energetic events in the universe.'
They said it could also be a stellar-wind bubble – a large cavity of gas launched by the upper atmosphere of a star.
However, the scientists warned that the sphere needs more investigation before the sphere's nature can be confirmed.
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