Radio emission from interstellar neutral hydrogen

The emission line for neutral hydrogen at 1420 Mc/s is the only line so far discovered in radioastronomy. Since its mechanism of origin is completely understood, observations of this line provide direct information about conditions in interstellar space such as temperatures, densities and velocities. Extensive investigations of our own Milky Way system have shown clearly that it is a spiral galaxy similar to, but rather smaller than, the great spiral nebula in Andromeda. Our knowledge of the spiral structure of galaxies is far from complete; hydrogen-line measures of high-speed expansions in the centre of the Milky Way system may provide a clue to the understanding of this problem. In addition, determinations of the hydrogen content of different types of galaxy reinforce current theories which suggest that irregular galaxies evolve through the spiral form to elliptical galaxies.