A tunnel connecting the Sun with other stars has been discovered

Astronomers have discovered an interstellar “corridor” connecting the Solar System with other regions of the Milky Way, radically changing our understanding of the structure of our immediate cosmic environment.

According to a new study, the Solar System is not located in an isolated “hot bubble,” as previously thought. Instead, it is part of a complex network of interstellar conduits that create a direct physical connection with other regions of our Galaxy. One of these conduits is directed toward the constellation Centaurus, and a potential branch extends toward the constellation Canis Major.

This is the Local Hot Bubble—a region of rare plasma approximately 300 light-years in diameter, within which the Solar System resides. This structure arose millions of years ago after a series of supernova explosions that cleared out interstellar gas, creating a cavity of high-temperature radiation. New data show that the bubble has a much more complex shape and is not closed.

The main discovery was the detection of a physical “corridor” of lower gas density and higher temperature that breaks through the bubble’s boundaries. Scientists believe it is part of a vast “cosmic network” connecting different parts of the Milky Way and facilitating the transfer of energy and matter between stellar regions.

“We detected a significant temperature difference between the northern and southern parts of the bubble. This indicates the dynamism of the interstellar medium, which is constantly being transformed by stellar winds and supernova remnants,” explained study leader Dr. L.L. Sala.

To obtain these results, astronomers used the eRosita instrument, which is capable of detecting ultra-weak X-ray emission from hot plasma. The celestial sphere was divided into thousands of segments, allowing them to separate the background radiation from the signals of local structures. Scientists emphasize that the discovery is fundamental. It helps us understand how energy propagates in the Galaxy, how stellar regions evolve, and what the environment was like when the Solar System entered it several million years ago. Furthermore, information about interstellar “corridors” is important for future modeling of interstellar travel.

The researchers’ next step will be to create a complete 3D model of the network of these channels, which, according to the scientists, forms a kind of “cosmic metro” around Earth.

As a reminder, a hotel will open on the Moon before 2032.

To be continued…