New sky survey reveals hundreds of thousands of galaxies

By Ashley Strickland, CNN

Updated 1822 GMT (0222 HKT) February 19, 2019

The Low Frequency Array telescope, or LOFAR, is helping astronomers find hundreds of thousands of previously unknown distant galaxies. Here are some of them.<br /><br />The galaxy cluster Abell1314 is 460 million light-years from Earth. The cluster merged with another cluster, creating an emission that could be detected by LOFAR.
Photos: LOFAR captures galaxies
The Low Frequency Array telescope, or LOFAR, is helping astronomers find hundreds of thousands of previously unknown distant galaxies. Here are some of them.

The galaxy cluster Abell1314 is 460 million light-years from Earth. The cluster merged with another cluster, creating an emission that could be detected by LOFAR.
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The Whirlpool Galaxy is between 15 million and 35 million light-years from Earth, and it spans 60,000 light-years in diameter. At the center, it hosts a supermassive black hole.
Photos: LOFAR captures galaxies
The Whirlpool Galaxy is between 15 million and 35 million light-years from Earth, and it spans 60,000 light-years in diameter. At the center, it hosts a supermassive black hole.
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Many head-tail radio galaxies like this one were found in the LOFAR surveys. The radio galaxy falls through a cluster of galaxies and leaves a trail.
Photos: LOFAR captures galaxies
Many head-tail radio galaxies like this one were found in the LOFAR surveys. The radio galaxy falls through a cluster of galaxies and leaves a trail.
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J0349+7511 is a giant radio galaxy associated with Abell 449, a cluster of galaxies.
Photos: LOFAR captures galaxies
J0349+7511 is a giant radio galaxy associated with Abell 449, a cluster of galaxies.
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M106 is a nearby spiral galaxy, and although the bright structures at the center look like spiral arms, they're actually activity from the supermassive black hole at the center.
Photos: LOFAR captures galaxies
M106 is a nearby spiral galaxy, and although the bright structures at the center look like spiral arms, they're actually activity from the supermassive black hole at the center.
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This is a merging galaxy cluster, CIZA J2242.8+5301, with extremely hot gas at its center.
Photos: LOFAR captures galaxies
This is a merging galaxy cluster, CIZA J2242.8+5301, with extremely hot gas at its center.
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This is just 1/30th of one of the LOFAR survey areas, using the full moon for scale. These aren't stars, they're galaxies.
Photos: LOFAR captures galaxies
This is just 1/30th of one of the LOFAR survey areas, using the full moon for scale. These aren't stars, they're galaxies.
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Radio galaxies can take different forms and shapes.
Photos: LOFAR captures galaxies
Radio galaxies can take different forms and shapes.
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Radio galaxy 3C31 is more than 3 million light-years in size.
Photos: LOFAR captures galaxies
Radio galaxy 3C31 is more than 3 million light-years in size.