Source: IE
Context: Astronomers have discovered two ancient streams of stars, named Shakti and Shiva, which are among the earliest building blocks of the Milky Way galaxy.
- These streams, identified using data from the European Space Agency’s Gaia telescope, are believed to have merged with the Milky Way around 12 billion years ago.
- Each structure contains stars with similar chemical compositions, formed approximately 12-13 billion years ago and with a mass about 10 million times greater than our sun.
Gaia, launched in 2013, has been instrumental in mapping the Milky Way’s three-dimensional structure, aiding astronomers in detecting structures like Shakti and Shiva. Further studies, including future Gaia surveys, are expected to provide additional insights into the formation and evolution of the Milky Way galaxy.
In Hinduism, the union between Shiva and Shakti gave rise to the cosmos. Identifying the Shakti and Shiva structures has helped to bring the Milky Way’s turbulent earliest stages into focus.
