Scientists released the largest and most detailed maps of the universe's magnetic fields, leveraging data from the ASKAP radio telescope in Western Australia to deliver a dramatically clearer view of cosmic magnetism and the Milky Way.

The maps show magnetism slows star formation by about a factor of three and guides how interstellar winds propagate, influencing galaxy lifecycles and the distribution of gas and dust.

The project combines Rapid ASKAP Continuum Surveys with a new SPICE-RACS component to chart magnetic fields, including those from the Magellanic Clouds and their interactions with the Milky Way.

Experts describe the map as a foundational resource that will drive future discoveries as researchers study specific regions, star-forming zones, and individual galaxies in coming years.

The data release is an open repository inviting researchers worldwide to conduct analyses using the SPICE_RACS map.

Methodology centers on how light from distant galaxies is twisted by magnetic fields, enabling inference of field strength and orientation and visualization as color-coded maps.

Researchers, including CSIRO astronomer Dr. Alec Thomson and SKA observatory chief scientist Prof. Naomi McClure-Griffiths, emphasize that magnetic fields permeate Earth, stars, galaxies, and intergalactic space, with origins and evolution remaining major cosmology questions.

The maps position magnetic fields as a key driver of cosmic structure, affecting material flows, star formation rates, and galaxy interactions, potentially rivaling gravity in shaping the universe.

The project pursues fundamental physics by enabling detailed studies of magnetic structures to address how cosmic magnetism began and evolved since the Big Bang.

A large collaborative effort produced the SPICE_RACS map, the most comprehensive chart to date of cosmic magnetic fields, analyzing light from nearly 4 million galaxies as it traveled through intergalactic space.

Lead author Dr. Alec Thomson and co-author Prof. Naomi McClure-Griffiths describe this as a foundational step with major breakthroughs anticipated in coming years, with the map data publicly released for broader use.

The SPICE_RACS dataset is five times larger and more detailed than previous efforts and has been openly released to the global scientific community through CSIRO repositories and the Astronomical Society of Australia.