Mysterious 'interstellar tunnel' found in our local pocket of space.
Astronomers have created a detailed 3D map of the Local Hot Bubble (LHB), a vast region of hot, low-density gas surrounding our Solar System, using data from the eROSITA X-ray telescope.
This bubble, spanning hundreds of light-years, is believed to have been carved out by a series of ancient supernova explosions millions of years ago, which cleared out dense interstellar material and left behind a cavity filled with million-degree plasma.
The new map reveals that the LHB is not a perfect sphere but an asymmetrical structure, with a surprising feature: a mysterious "tunnel" extending toward the constellation Centaurus.
This tunnel could be a pathway connecting the LHB to other similar bubbles in the Milky Way, suggesting a network of interstellar cavities. Researchers propose that these interconnected regions might play a role in star formation or the transport of cosmic material. The discovery deepens our understanding of our cosmic neighborhood and its dynamic history.
[Michael C. H. Yeung et al, The SRG/eROSITA diffuse soft X-ray background, The local hot bubble in the western Galactic hemisphere, 2025, Astronomy & Astrophysics]