{"id":4685,"date":"2025-08-03T18:42:17","date_gmt":"2025-08-03T21:42:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iate.oac.uncor.edu\/?p=4685"},"modified":"2025-08-08T09:44:42","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T12:44:42","slug":"explorando-lo-inexplorado-el-iate-descubre-decenas-de-miles-de-galaxias-detras-de-la-via-lactea-destacando-la-labor-de-m-v-alonso","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iate.oac.uncor.edu\/en\/2025\/08\/03\/explorando-lo-inexplorado-el-iate-descubre-decenas-de-miles-de-galaxias-detras-de-la-via-lactea-destacando-la-labor-de-m-v-alonso\/","title":{"rendered":"Exploring the unexplored: the IATE discovers tens of thousands galaxies behind the Milky Way, highlighting Mar\u00eda Victoria Alonso\u2019s efforts"},"content":{"rendered":"

An international team led by Mar\u00eda Victoria Alonso, researcher at the Instituto de Astronom\u00eda Te\u00f3rica y Experimental (IATE, Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Astronomy), working under the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cient\u00edficas y T\u00e9cnicas (CONICET, National Scientific and Technical Research Council), and the Observatorio Astron\u00f3mico de C\u00f3rdoba (OAC, Astronomical Observatory of the National University of C\u00f3rdoba), has made a significant advance in studying one of the most challenging observable regions in the universe: the Zone of Avoidance (ZoA). By using data from the VVVX survey (VISTA Variables in the V\u00eda L\u00e1cta eXtended) and other artificial intelligente techniques, the team identified 167.559 galaxies which had previously remained hidden by our galaxy\u2019s disk.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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The Milky Way cosmic barrier<\/b><\/span><\/h4>\n

The Milky Way is similar to a thick curtain of cosmic dust and stars which prevents us from looking behind it. This curtain is called the Zone of Avoidance (ZoA), a sky region where gas, dust, and light from our own galaxy blocks the view of other galaxies. Nonetheless, there is a trick: the near-infrared light (NIR), acting as a X-ray vision, is able to cross that barrier and unveil what lies behind. This technique was used by the team led by Mar\u00eda Victoria Alonso to face this challenge. <\/span>
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\n<\/span>Previously, elaborating a catalogue of galaxies behind our own was an arduous, manual task. A new method to detect them was developed in this project, which started in 2012. However, this process generated thousands of candidates requiring a thorough visual examination, one candidate at a time. As a result of the tremendous effort of many collaborators from different institutes, a first catalogue named \u2018VVV NIRGC I\u2019 including more than 5.000 galaxies was created and it demonstrated the enormous potential of the data. In spite of it, the scale of the challenge exposed the limits of the analysis and the need for a more powerful tool to process the whole data from the survey.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The key contribution of artificial intelligence<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

A new catalogue, \u2018VVV NIRGC II\u2019, was developed with the implementation of machine learning algorithms to images captured by the VISTA telescope, located in the Observatorio Europeo Austral (ESO, European Southern Observatory), Chile. By using this automatic processing together with the samples visually obtained, it was possible to classify efficiently all detected galaxies, and limitations of traditional methods were overcome.<\/span><\/p>\n

A manual analysis of such huge amount of data would have been unattainable without advanced computing tools. Not only did the team\u2019s algorithms identify galaxies, but also provided information about their properties, like brightness and morphology. Only a 14% of these galaxies had been detected in previous surveys.<\/span><\/p>\n

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These two galaxies are examples of the vast array that were discovered in the Zone of Avoidance.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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A story of perseverance and collaboration that spans over more than a decade lies behind this technological advance. To Dr. Laura Baravalle, one of the head scientists in the project, the catalogue signals the end of a long journey. \u201cTo me, it was the end of what had started in 2012 with Victoria Alonso as my supervisor, when I reached out to her for my undergraduate thesis\u201d, said Baravalle.\u201dAt first, it was a short project, and we ended up cataloguing thousands of galaxies when there was nothing previously. It was amazing, all we did together.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The project escalated from a \u201cvery tiny region\u201d to a huge portion of the sky, a challenge that would not have been possible without following a collaborative strategy. Baravalle emphasizes the importance of remaining persistent across her licenciate (undergraduate studies), doctoral and postdoctoral studies, as well as Victoria Alonso\u2019s capacity to include other experts. \u201cIt was too much for the two of us\u201d; she admitted, making reference to the overwhelming amount of data. \u201cWe had to contact experts in artificial intelligence and experts on dealing with huge quantities of data to process all the information and keep making advances.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Apart from expanding our knowledge about the near universe, this catalogue is the scaffolding for future investigations with cutting-edge instruments, like the Vera C. Rubin Telescope and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.\nFurthermore, it suggests the possible existence of massive structures, like galaxy filaments that had previously remained unseen. The team has already been preparing for the next phase: its goal is to use spectroscopy to understand the nature of the discovered objects and calculate their distances. This study will allow a 3D-map reconstruction of the hidden region behind the Milky Way. The spectograph KMOS (K-band Multi Object Spectograph), installed in the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile, will be used for this project. To carry out the survey, the team will spend more than 100 observing nights in the ESO since January, 2026. \u201cWe finished with photometry and now we move on to spectrography,\u201d explained Baravalle.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

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The team that initiated the project: Jos\u00e9 Luis Nilo-Castell\u00f3n, Mar\u00eda Victoria Alonso, and Laura Baravalle.\u00a0<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Maria Victoria Alonso\u2019s role and the IATE<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Maria Victoria Alonso, specialized researcher of galaxy dynamics and extragalactic astronomy at the IATE, has been studying galaxies and star populations in different environments for years. Her experience analysing the Zone of Avoidance and applying statistical techniques to fix the effects of galactic absorption has been crucial for this discovery.<\/span>
\n<\/span>To Mar\u00eda Victoria Alonso, this project is more than just a catalogue of galaxies; it is the pinnacle of her career. \u201cIt is the paper of my life,\u201d she said emotionally. For Mar\u00eda, this achievement closes a chapter that had begun during her doctorate studies. \u201cIn my thesis, I worked with elliptic galaxies and determinated their distances, and now I finish with a survey of the same region that, at that time, I looked at with awe; it was a place where almost nobody worked.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Alonso reflects on the collaborative approach, describing how a project leader\u2019s vision \u201clooks further ahead.\u201d Although she knew that the project started with a small region, \u201cI already had it in mind that I wanted it all,\u201d she confessed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Talking about the legacy of this investigation, Alonso says that \u201capart from the project itself, what remains is the way to work. We transmit knowledge because we learn as we do\u201d. To her, the most important legacy is \u201cthe habitus of daily work, effort and work ethic. I believe preserving that at all times is very important,\u201d she concluded.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Work team of the VVV survey during a meeting in C\u00f3rdoba. Part of the interdisciplinary team that helped to discover thousands of hidden galaxies behind the Milky Way, coordinated by Mar\u00eda Victoria Alonso (IATE). Some of the participants are: Mario Soto (University of Atacama, Chile), Maren Hempel (Andr\u00e9s Bello University, Chile), Dante Minniti (Andr\u00e9s Bello University, Chile), Eduardo Schmidt (OAC, Argentina), Carolina Villal\u00f3n (IATE, Argentina), Ana Pichel (IAFE, Argentina), Pamela Marchant Cort\u00e9s (University of La Serena, Chile), Mar\u00eda Victoria Alonso (IATE, Argentina), Laura Baravalle (IATE, Argentina), Tali Palma (IATE, Argentina), Vane Daza-Perilla (NASA, EE.UU.)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Another step in exploring the universe<\/b><\/span><\/h4>\n

The paper, published in the Astronomy and Astrophysics magazine, strengthens the IATE and the OAC\u2019s role in international astronomy and highlights the importance of global collaboration for astronomical research. New opportunities to understand matter distribution in the universe and the effects of the Milky Way on extragalactic observation arise from these results.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thanks to this advance, Alonso\u2019s team continues exploring the misteries of the Zone of Avoidance, proving once more that even the most elusive sky regions can be deciphered with suitable tools.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Scientific publication<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

The VVV near-IR galaxy catalogue of the southern Galactic disc<\/b><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Team | M. V. Alonso, L. D. Baravalle, J. L. Nilo-Castell\u00f3n, C. Villalon, M. Soto, M. A. Sgr\u00f3, I. V. Daza Perilla, C. Valotto, M. Lares, D. Minniti, P. Marchant Cort\u00e9s, F. Milla Castro, M. Hempel, J. Alonso-Garc\u00eda, L. Macri, A. Pichel, N. Masetti, R. K. Saito, M. G\u00f3mez <\/b>M. V. Alonso, L. D. Baravalle, J. L. Nilo-Castell\u00f3n, C. Villalon, M. Soto, M. A. Sgr\u00f3, I. V. Daza Perilla, C. Valotto, M. Lares, D. Minniti, P. Marchant Cort\u00e9s, F. Milla Castro, M. Hempel, J. Alonso-Garc\u00eda, L. Macri, A. Pichel, N. Masetti, R. K. Saito, M. G\u00f3mez
\n<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Un equipo internacional liderado por la investigadora Mar\u00eda Victoria Alonso del Instituto de Astronom\u00eda Te\u00f3rica y Experimental (IATE-CONICET) y el Observatorio Astron\u00f3mico de C\u00f3rdoba (OAC – UNC) ha logrado un avance significativo en el estudio de una de las regiones m\u00e1s dif\u00edciles de observar del universo: la Zona de Exclusi\u00f3n…<\/p>","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":4694,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4685","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-comunicacion-de-la-ciencia","category-novedades"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iate.oac.uncor.edu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4685","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iate.oac.uncor.edu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iate.oac.uncor.edu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iate.oac.uncor.edu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iate.oac.uncor.edu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4685"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/iate.oac.uncor.edu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4685\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4990,"href":"https:\/\/iate.oac.uncor.edu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4685\/revisions\/4990"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iate.oac.uncor.edu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4694"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iate.oac.uncor.edu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4685"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iate.oac.uncor.edu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4685"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iate.oac.uncor.edu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4685"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}