Tag Archives: colliding

Astronomers Unveil Merging Mystery: Champagne Galaxy Cluster is Two Colliding Clusters

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Astronomers unveiled a remarkable giant galaxy cluster known as RM J130558.9+263048.4 on December 31, 2020. Due to its bubble-like appearance and superheated gas, they aptly named it the Champagne Cluster. The stunning new composite image of this galaxy cluster features X-ray data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory combined with optical information from the Legacy Survey.

The Champagne Cluster appears as a luminous array of galaxies amidst a vibrant neon purple cloud. The cluster reveals over 100 galaxies split into two groups, with notable variations among them. Foreground stars display diffraction spikes surrounded by a subtle haze. Many small galaxies showcase blue, orange, or red tones and exhibit varied shapes. This indicates a multifaceted nature, while the central purple gas cloud emitted by Chandra signals a high-temperature region, indicative of two colliding clusters. Image credit: NASA / CXC / UCDavis / Bouhrik others. / Legacy Survey / DECaLS / BASS / MzLS / SAO / P. Edmonds / L. Frattare.

Recent research led by astronomer Faik Bourik from the University of California, Davis, utilized instruments from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESA’s XMM Newton Observatory to investigate the Champagne Cluster.

The team also analyzed data from the DEIMOS multi-object spectrometer located at the W. M. Keck Observatory.

“Our new composite image indicates that the Champagne Galaxy Cluster consists of two galaxy clusters merging to form a larger cluster,” the astronomers stated.

“In typical observations, multimillion-degree gas is roughly circular, but in the Champagne Cluster, it spans from top to bottom, highlighting the collision of two clusters.”

“Distinct clusters of individual galaxies are prominently visible above and below the center,” they added.

“Remarkably, the mass of this hot gas exceeds that of all 100 or more individual galaxies within the newly formed cluster.”

“This cluster is also abundant in invisible dark matter, a mysterious substance that pervades the universe.”

The Champagne Cluster is part of a rare category of merging galaxy clusters, akin to the well-known Bullet Cluster, where the hot gas from each cluster collides, slows, and creates a clear separation from the heaviest galaxies.

By comparing this data with computer simulations, researchers propose two potential histories for the Champagne Cluster.

One theory suggests that the two star clusters collided over 2 billion years ago, followed by an outward movement due to gravity, leading them to a subsequent collision.

Alternatively, another link posits a single collision about 400 million years ago, after which the clusters have begun moving apart.

“Further studies on the Champagne Cluster could illuminate how dark matter reacts during high-velocity collisions,” the scientists concluded.

For more insights, refer to their published paper in July 2025, featured in the Astrophysical Journal.

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Faik Bourik others. 2025. New dissociated galaxy cluster merger: discovery and multiwavelength analysis of the Champagne Cluster. APJ 988, 166;doi: 10.3847/1538-4357/ade67c

Source: www.sci.news

Chances of Asteroid 2024 YR4 Colliding with Earth in 2032 Decrease Once More

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The artist's impression of what asteroid 2024 YR4 looks like as they approached Earth in December 2032

NASA

NASA downgraded the risk that the 2024 YR4 would hit the planet by 1.5% in 2032. 1-in-67from the height of a 1-in-32 The chance was the best odds ever.

Astronomers discovered that an asteroid was slamming barrels towards Earth in December, and that has since been the focus of telescopes and space agencies around the world. As they collected more data on the exact orbit of the asteroid, astronomers were able to calculate the likelihood of hitting Earth more accurately. The asteroid is thought to be between 40 and 90 meters wide and can release energy equivalent to TNT's 7.7 megatonnes.

According to NASA, the likelihood of a 2032 collision has increased from a coincidence of one-third since it was first discovered. It then moved to 1/67, 1/53, 1/53, 1/53, 1-in-43, 1-in-38, 1-in-32, and now it's 1/67 I did. The European Space Agency has slightly different odds, Currently giving asteroids a 1.38% chance of collision. These changes reflect an increasing understanding of the asteroid path, meaning they may not necessarily impact Earth.

But we are running out of time to predict the risks of asteroids. One problem is that the 2024 YR4 flies behind the sun in April and goes outside from most Earth-based telescope views. It says it limits the amount that astronomers can narrow down their predictions. Hugh Lewis At the University of Southampton, England. That doesn't necessarily mean it's going down before April. It could continue to rise, but in the end I still miss us. ”

Once the asteroid pops out of sight, it is rare to get any more information before it comes back into view in 2028. However, astronomers can look at past data to reveal previously overlooked asteroid observations. Trajectory. The process is already being carried out by the world's space agencies, Lewis says.

We hope that important information about the size and composition of the asteroid will be collected by James Webb's Space Telescope in the coming months, Lewis says. This helps us understand whether an asteroid can make it intact through Earth's atmosphere and whether it can cause an impact or not.

“It helps us to determine what we need to do about it because if it's a stone asteroid, it's a very different proportion of iron metal asteroids,” Lewis said. I say it. Stone-rich asteroids will be even worse as stone-like asteroids potentially split during impact. “Mass makes a huge difference in terms of whether energy and the atmosphere affects it.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Footage of boat colliding with basking shark caught on film.

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This is the first documented collision between a boat and a basking shark, indicating that such incidents may be more common than previously thought. Further monitoring is needed to quantify the issue and enforce a code of conduct for boats to protect the sharks.

Alexandra McInturff Researchers at Oregon State University have discovered a 7-meter long female basking shark (Setohinus Maximus) on April 24 using a device that records movement in three axes: depth, position, and video.

McInturff mentioned that due to the limited availability and duration of sensors for tagging sharks, capturing a collision incident could shed light on its frequency.

The video footage shows the shark feeding at the surface, then abruptly changing direction to collide with the boat. The shark appears to panic and rapidly dives back into the water before coming to a stop at the ocean floor.

A camera attached to a basking shark captures images before, during and after a ship collision

Oregon State University’s Big Fish Lab.

The researchers observed that the tag on the shark came off about seven hours after the impact, leading to changes in behavior. The video footage revealed visible damage on the shark’s skin, but the extent of recovery remains uncertain.

The basking shark species is globally endangered but thrives off the coast of Ireland. To protect them, efforts like the recent designation of Ireland’s first National Marine Park are crucial. McInturff advocates for a mandatory code of conduct for boats interacting with basking sharks to address the issue effectively.

“We’ve seen evidence of boat strikes on sharks before, indicating a potentially widespread problem,” McInturff explained. “Implementing enforceable rules for boat conduct is essential to safeguard these animals.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Hubble spots a group of newly formed stars at the end of a colliding galaxy

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Using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers observed seven interacting galaxies with long tadpole-like tidal tails of gas, dust, and numerous stars. Hubble’s exquisite clarity and sensitivity to ultraviolet light led to the discovery of 425 clusters of newborn stars along these tidal tails. Each cluster contains up to a million newborn blue stars.

As seen in this Hubble image, galaxy AM 1054-325 has been distorted from its usual pancake-like spiral shape into an S-shape by the gravity of its neighboring galaxies. As a result, clusters of newborn stars form along tidal tails stretching across thousands of light years, resembling strings of pearls. Image credit: NASA/ESA/STScI/Jayanne English, University of Manitoba.

Tidal tail star clusters have been known for decades. When galaxies interact, gravitational tidal forces pull out long streams of gas and dust.

Two commonly used examples are antennas and rat galaxy It has elongated finger-like projections.

In a new study, astronomer Michael Rodrak of Randolph-Macon College and his colleagues combined new observational data with archival data to determine the age and mass of the tidal tail cluster.

Researchers discovered that these star clusters are very young, only 10 million years old.

And they appear to be forming at the same rate along a tail that extends over thousands of light years.

“It’s surprising that there are so many young objects in the tail,” said Dr Rodrak, lead author of the paper. paper Published in Royal Astronomical Society Monthly Notices.

“It tells us a lot about cluster formation efficiency.”

“With tidal tails, a new generation of stars will be built that otherwise would not exist.”

Tidal tails look like spiral arms of galaxies extending into space.

The outer part of the arm is pulled like taffy by the gravitational tug of war between a pair of interacting galaxies.

Before the merger occurred, galaxies may have been rich in dusty clouds of hydrogen molecules that simply remained inert.

However, during the encounter, the clouds swayed and clashed.

This compressed the hydrogen and triggered the firestorm of star birth.

“The fate of these strung star clusters is uncertain,” the astronomers said.

“They remain intact under gravity and can evolve into globular clusters that orbit outside the plane of the Milky Way.”

“Alternatively, they could disperse and form a stellar halo around their host galaxy, or be thrown off and become stars that wander between galaxies.”

“This pearly star formation may have been more common in the early Universe, when galaxies were colliding with each other more frequently.”

“These nearby galaxies observed by Hubble are proxies for what happened in the distant past, and are therefore laboratories for studying the distant past.”

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michael rodrak other. 2023. Star clusters in tidal dust. MNRAS 526 (2): 2341-2364; doi: 10.1093/mnras/stad2886

Source: www.sci.news