Astronomers Spot Glowing Shrouds of Gas Around Distant Galaxies

Galaxies are not just the glowing stars and gas you see through a telescope. They are swaddled in a huge ball, or “halo,” of hydrogen that stretches vast distances into the empty space between them. These halos are usually challenging to see and study, but it’s just gotten a little easier, thanks to a combination of nature’s own magnifying technique and the excellent vision of the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) on the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope.