The Real Madrid superstar has lent his nickname to a new discovery in the skies, believed to be the brightest object found in the early universe
Real Madrid’s ‘galactico’ era may have ended but their Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo continues to prove he is out of this world after a galaxy was named ‘CR7’.
The nickname is synonymous with the former Manchester United man, comprising his initials and the squad number he used at both Old Trafford and the Santiago Bernabeu.
However, it now has astronomical connotations after the European Southern Observatory (ESO) named a new galaxy in the 30-year-old’s honour, describing it as the brightest to be found in the early universe.
“Astronomers using ESO’s Very Large Telescope have discovered by far the brightest galaxy yet found in the early Universe and found strong evidence that examples of the first generation of stars lurk within it,” the group explained.
“These massive, brilliant, and previously purely theoretical objects were the creators of the first heavy elements in history – the elements necessary to forge the stars around us today, the planets that orbit them, and life as we know it.
“The newly found galaxy, labelled CR7, is three times brighter than the brightest distant galaxy known up to now.”
The CR7 epithet, in astronomical terms, stands for Cosmic Redshift 7 – a method of measuring a celestial body’s place along the timescale of the universe.
The discovery came after a new expansive study of the skies – aimed at discovering ancient stars known as Population III stars, which were formed very early after the Big Bang – and it is hoped CR7 will help scientists understand how early elements came into being.
“Those stars were the ones that formed the first heavy atoms that ultimately allowed us to be here. It doesn’t really get any more exciting than this,” said team leader David Sobral.