Melbourne : The universe is slowly dying but we have another 100 billion years, according to a new study of 200,000 galaxies which found that the energy generated by the galaxies is half of what it was two billion years ago, reports PTI.
Researchers from the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) in Western Australia used seven of the world’s most powerful telescopes to observe galaxies at 21 different wavelengths from the far ultraviolet to the far infrared. Initial observations were conducted using the Anglo-Australian Telescope in New South Wales and supporting observations were made by two orbiting space telescopes operated by NASA and another belonging to the European Space Agency.
The research is part of the Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) project, the largest multi-wavelength survey ever put together. “We used as many space and ground-based telescopes we could get our hands on, to measure the energy output of over 200,000 galaxies across as broad a wavelength range as possible,” said ICRAR Professor Simon Driver.
The survey data, released to astronomers around the world, includes 200,000 galaxies each measured at 21 wavelengths from the ultraviolet to the far infrared and will help scientists better understand how different types of galaxies form. “It’s going to be a long retirement and a slow dwindling process. It’s about 100 billion years or so until all starlight stops being produced,” Driver said.
