Scientists first found planets outside the Milky Way

Researchers from the University of Oklahoma found evidence of the existence of planets outside the Milky Way. The corresponding article is published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. According to Atlas Obscura, this happened for the first time in the history of science.

The galaxy in which the planets are found is located at a distance of 3.8 billion light years from the Earth.

The planets were found due to gravitational microlysis. This is the effect of short-term deviation of electromagnetic radiation from some object (in this case, scientists examined the light from quasar) when the massive body passes between it and the Earth (in this case).

“We have not the slightest chance to observe these planets directly, even with the help of the best telescope that science fiction can imagine. Nevertheless, we have the opportunity to study these planets and even try to evaluate their mass, ”said one of the authors of the study.

In total, researchers discovered evidence of the existence of at least two thousand planets, the mass of which lies in the range from the mass of the moon to the mass of Jupiter. All found objects are the so-called planets-wrestlers-they are not attached gravitational to any star and turn around the galactic nucleus.