Indian astronomers, citizen scientists abroad discover unique bow-and-arrow shaped radio galaxy

3 min readJul 7, 2026 03:21 PM IST

Researchers explained that the remarkable bow-and-arrow-shaped radio galaxy was discovered using ultra-sensitive observations from the LOFAR radio telescope.

A team of Indian astronomers along with citizen scientists and researchers working abroad have discovered a supersonic radio galaxy (RAD-BAARG Bow and Arrow Radio Galaxy) showing a giant shock wave nearly 20 times bigger than Milky Way Galaxy.

The discovery happened when citizen scientist Pranim Limbo, hailing from a remote village in Sikkim, identified the first clue through the RAD@home Collaboratory, India’s first citizen science astronomy research platform founded by Mumbai-based Dr. Ananda Hota in 2013.

Hota who is the founder director and principal investigator of RAD@home Astronomy Collaboratory, told The Indian Express that this discovery was a remarkable success for citizen science research in astronomy.

The discovery has been published in the Letters of the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society by the Oxford University Press. Researchers explained that the remarkable bow-and-arrow-shaped radio galaxy was discovered using ultra-sensitive observations from the LOFAR radio telescope.

The newly identified system features a vast arc-like structure spanning nearly 1.8 million light-years and may represent one of the clearest known radio signatures of a giant bow shock produced as a galaxy plunges supersonically into the dense environment of a galaxy cluster.

Simply put, as a galaxy falls towards a massive cluster of galaxies, its velocity increases as it gets closer to the cluster. Hota explained that when the velocity is higher than the speed of sound in its hot surrounding medium, it creates a huge shock wave.

“The supermassive black hole at the centre of the galaxy has coincidentally become active and launches two linear jets containing relativistic magnetized plasma. The plasma jet moving towards the cluster bounces back from the shock where the density, temperature, pressure, magnetic field are very high. The jet on the other site moves straight with some irregularity. Hence the shape of the whole structure resembles a Bow and Arrow and earned the name RAD-BAARG,” Dr Hota, who is also the lead author of the research publication, said.

Story continues below this ad

According to Dr Pratik Dabhade, another author, BAARG is exciting not just because of its striking bow-and-arrow shape but also because it sits in a complex multi-halo environment where gas flows, infall and possible shocks can reshape radio plasma.

Since 2013, RAD@home has been training participants to analyse astronomical data from world-class telescopes and contribute to scientific discoveries irrespective of their geographic or institutional backgrounds. This discovery also has led to exciting future possibilities for next generation radio astronomy facilities.

Hota said that the collaboratory is now leading the planning on how citizen science can be integrated with the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). The centre has accorded approval for India’s participation in the international mega science project SKA at an estimated cost of Rs 1,250 crore.

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues .

Professional Background

Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature.

Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO.

Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives.

Awards and Recognition

Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.”

Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)

1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care

"Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease.

Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose.

2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series)

Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs.

"For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune.

3. Lifestyle & Wellness News

"They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions.

At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents.

4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure

For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics.

Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far.

Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership

Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions.

... Read More