Scientists spot cosmic waves in shape of a treble clef

By Dean Murray

Cosmic radio waves in a shape similar to Prince's famous name symbol have been called a space "Treble Clef" by astronomers.

Researchers have used NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory to investigate the cause of the "remarkable formation."

NASA said the scientists chose the "Treble Clef" nickname because the radio source has a distinct shape resembling the musical symbol.

The researchers discovered the Treble Clef is likely caused by an outburst from a supermassive black hole, followed by a collision of two galaxy clusters.

A paper describing the findings, led by Andrea Botteon of the National Institute for Astrophysics, or INAF, in Italy, was published on Wednesday, Oct. 14, in the Astronomy & Astrophysics journal.

NASA said: "An explanation for the Treble Clef has been particularly difficult to find because the formation lies almost directly behind the plane of the Milky Way, meaning that stars, gas, and dust from our home galaxy largely block the view from Earth."

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However, by using telescopes that can peer through the intervening material, a team of researchers was able to identify what is responsible for this uncommon structure.

NASA's Chandra and the German Extended Röntgen Survey with an Imaging Telescope Array (eROSITA) X-ray telescope found diffuse, hot gas at the location of the Treble Clef, showing that a galaxy cluster hosts the object.

The researchers also determined the galaxy cluster is, in fact, two clusters in the process of merging.

Galaxy clusters are some of the largest structures in the universe, containing hundreds of individual galaxies and huge reservoirs of superheated gas.

NASA said the resemblance to a treble clef is a case of pareidolia, the phenomenon when people see familiar shapes in random data, since there is no scientific connection to the musical notation.

"A second interpretation of pareidolia for this radio emission structure is a dragon that is being viewed from the side," it adds.