“Like Nothing Ever Seen Before”: Astronomers Discover a Colossal Milky Way Cloud Containing the Mass of 160,000 Suns

By Eirwen Williams – Sustainability Times

In an astonishing breakthrough, astronomers have identified a colossal molecular cloud within our Milky Way galaxy. This massive structure, located approximately 23,000 light-years away, weighs as much as 160,000 suns. Discovered using the Green Bank Telescope, this cloud, named M4.7-0.8, resides within a dusty lane of the galactic bar—a pivotal area for material transport to the galaxy’s core. As outlined in a study published on arXiv, this discovery provides unique insights into star formation and galactic evolution, highlighting the significance of these enormous molecular clouds.