IMPHAL: An Indian researcher based in Japan has named a newly discovered large structure of galaxies after Manipur's Loktak Lake, seeking to “immortalise” the northeastern state's identity in the cosmos.
Dr. Ronaldo Laishram, who led an international research team as a postdoctoral researcher at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), said the structure was studied using the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii and the James Webb Space Telescope.
The study, which began around October 2024 as part of a broader ongoing research programme, was published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.
Dr. Laishram, a 29-year-old researcher from Khangabok in Thoubal district, explained that the idea of naming the structure after Loktak Lake came to him immediately after the discovery.
"When I first discovered it, the first thing that came to my mind was to do something for my home Manipur. Loktak is the mirror and lifeline of Manipur... I wanted to place Manipur, and Loktak, in the story of the universe itself," he said.
He added that the appearance of four separate concentrations of galaxies linked into one larger system reminded him of an aerial photograph he had once taken of Loktak Lake, making it the most natural choice over other historical names like Taoroinai (a mythical serpent).