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CSIRO Releases Largest Cosmic Magnetic Field Map Yet

6/4/2026

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Summary

CSIRO Releases Magnetic Map

CSIRO and an international team released the SPICE_RACS map of cosmic magnetic fields, covering nearly 4 million galaxies.
Scientists used the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder to measure Faraday rotation, producing a dataset five times larger than previous effort.
Dr. Alec Thomson said the map will help answer how magnetic fields began after the big bang.
Professor Naomi McClure-Griffiths said the free data will help African SKA partners train new data scientists.

Summary

ASKAP Creates Map

ASKAP created the SPICE_RACS map at the Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara observatory, a name that honors local Indigenous custodians.
The Indigenous name reflects a partnership that recognises the traditional owners of the remote, radio-quiet site.
Researchers stress the site’s low-interference environment is vital for measuring the faint Faraday rotation signals.
Open-access to the map lets schools and universities, even in remote Australian regions, incorporate real data into curricula.
ASKAP’s construction was financed by Australian government science grants and additional international research contributions.

Summary

SKA-Low 2030

SKA-Low, built with 130,000 tree-shaped antennas on Wajarri land, targets full operation by 2030.
When combined with SKA-Mid in South Africa, the array will produce finer cosmic-web maps.
Wendy Williams said the telescopes will survey galaxies and supermassive black holes over time.
Tim Galvin confirmed that SPICE-RACS data are freely downloadable from data.csiro.au, enabling early observations later this decade to sharpen understanding of magnetic field origins.

Summary

SPICE-RACS Maps

SPICE-RACS map shows magnetic fields shield Earth’s atmosphere, preventing a Mars-like world.
Visualising magnetic space weather improves forecasts that protect satellites and communications.
Magnetic fields slow star formation threefold, regulating material for planetary systems and life-supporting worlds.
Linking the map to Australia’s oldest complex life evidence and noting that 99.9 % of visible cosmic material is plasma suggests the magnetic structures could bridge cosmology with biosphere research and enable space-plasma technologies.

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CSIRO Releases Magnetic Map

CSIRO and an international team released the SPICE_RACS map of cosmic magnetic fields, covering nearly 4 million galaxies.
Scientists used the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder to measure Faraday rotation, producing a dataset five times larger than previous effort.
Dr. Alec Thomson said the map will help answer how magnetic fields began after the big bang.
Professor Naomi McClure-Griffiths said the free data will help African SKA partners train new data scientists.

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