Tag Archives: hubble

Hubble Observes NGC 1841 Globular Cluster

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This new image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows the globular star cluster NGC 1841 in the Large Magellanic Cloud.

This Hubble image shows the globular cluster NGC 1841 about 162,000 light-years away in the constellation Mensa. The color images include ultraviolet, optical, and near-infrared observations from both Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) and Survey Altitude Camera (ACS). Three filters were used to sample different wavelengths. Color is obtained by assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter. Image credits: NASA / ESA / Hubble / A. Saragedini / F. Niederhofer.

NGC1841 It is located approximately 162,000 light years away in the constellation Mensa.

The cluster is discovered It was proposed by British astronomer John Herschel on January 19, 1836.

Also known as ESO 4-15, this galaxy is part of the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of our Milky Way.

“Satellite galaxies are galaxies that are gravitationally bound in orbit around a larger host galaxy,” Hubble astronomers said in a statement.

“While we usually think of our galaxy's closest galactic companion as the Andromeda galaxy, it would be more accurate to say that the Andromeda galaxy is the closest galaxy that does not orbit the Milky Way.”

“In fact, our galaxy is orbited by dozens of known satellite galaxies much closer than Andromeda, the largest and brightest of which is the Large Magellanic Cloud, which is easily visible to the naked eye even from the southern hemisphere. can.”

Globular clusters, such as NGC 1841, are very old systems of stars bound together by gravity into a single structure about 100 to 200 light-years in diameter.

These objects contain hundreds of thousands, or perhaps millions, of stars. The large mass in the cluster's rich stellar center pulls the stars inward, forming a star ball.

These are among the oldest objects known in the universe, relics from the earliest era of galaxy formation.

It is believed that all galaxies contain globular clusters. There are at least 150 such objects in our Milky Way galaxy.

“There are many globular star clusters in the Large Magellanic Cloud,” the astronomers said.

“These objects lie somewhere between open clusters (much less dense and tightly bound) and small, compact galaxies.”

“Increasingly sophisticated observations have revealed that the stellar populations and other characteristics of globular clusters are diverse and complex, but how these dense clusters form is poorly understood. yeah.”

“But all globular clusters have a certain consistency. They are so stable that they can persist for long periods of time, and therefore can be very old.”

“This means that globular clusters often contain large numbers of very old stars, making them similar to 'fossils' in the sky.”

“Just as fossils provide insight into the early development of life on Earth, globular clusters like NGC 1841 provide insight into the very early formation of stars in galaxies.”

Source: www.sci.news

Surprising Images of Nearby Star-Forming Regions Captured by Hubble

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astronomer using NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope We captured a vivid image of IRAS 16562-3959, a beautiful star-forming region in the constellation Scorpius.

This Hubble image shows IRAS 16562-3959, a star-forming region about 5,900 light-years away in the constellation Scorpius. Image credits: NASA / ESA / Hubble / R. Fedriani / J. Tan.

IRAS 16562-3959The star, also known as 2MASX J16594225-4003451, is located 5,900 light-years away in the constellation Scorpius.

“At the center of the image, IRAS 16562-3959 is thought to contain a massive star with a mass approximately 30 times that of the Sun, which is still in the process of formation,” Hubble team members said in a statement. Ta.

“At the near-infrared wavelengths that Hubble detects, the central region appears dark because there is so much dust in the way.”

“Near-infrared light, however, primarily leaks out from two sides, the top left and bottom right, where powerful jets from massive protostars are removing dust.”

“The multi-wavelength images containing this amazing Hubble scene will help us better understand how the largest and brightest stars in the Milky Way are born.”

The new image of IRAS 16562-3959 was created from separate exposures taken in the near-infrared region of the spectrum. Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3).

Four filters were used to sample different wavelengths. Color is obtained by assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter.

“A filter is a thin piece of highly specialized material that only allows light at very specific wavelengths to pass through,” the astronomer explained.

“We can slide them in front of the light-sensing part of the telescope, allowing us to control which wavelengths of light the telescope collects for each observation.”

“This is useful not only for certain scientific studies, but also for creating images like this.”

“Regardless of which filter was used, raw telescopic observations are always monochrome,” they added.

“However, specially trained artists and image professionals can choose colors that match the wavelength range covered by individual filters.”

“Alternatively, if a direct match is not possible, for example the data used in this image is all in the infrared range, to which the human eye is not sensitive, so the artist has chosen colors that are wisely representative of what they are trying to represent.” You can. It’s happening.”

“For example, shorter wavelengths might be assigned a bluer color and longer wavelengths a redder color, as is the case with the visible light range.”

“The data from multiple filters can then be combined to build multicolor images that look beautiful and have scientific meaning.”

Source: www.sci.news

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

Hubble Observes Bright Blue Compact Galaxy

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Dazzling new photos from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope show the brilliant blue compact galaxy ESO 185-IG013 in the constellation Telescope.

This Hubble image shows ESO 185-IG013, a brilliant blue compact galaxy located approximately 260 million light-years away in the constellation Telescopium. Image credit: NASA / ESA / R. Chandar, University of Toledo / Gladys Kober, NASA and Catholic University of America.

ESO 185-IG013 is located about 260 million light-years away in the small constellation Telescopium in the south.

Also known as LEDA 63618, this galaxy is classified as a luminescent blue compact galaxy (BCG).

All stars in ESO 185-IG013 have a combined mass of more than 7 billion solar masses.

“BCG is a nearby galaxy that exhibits intense bursts of star formation,” Hubble astronomers said in a statement.

“It is unusually blue in visible light, distinguishing it from other high starburst galaxies that emit more infrared light.”

“We study BCG because it provides a relatively close equivalent to galaxies in the early universe.”

“This means BCG can help us learn about the formation and evolution of galaxies as they may have occurred billions of years ago.”

Astronomers imaged ESO 185-IG013 at ultraviolet, visible, and infrared wavelengths, revealing details about its past.

“There are hundreds of young star clusters in our galaxy, many of which are younger than 100 million years,” the astronomers said.

“Many star clusters are only 3.5 million years old – relatively infants compared to the time scale of our universe.”

“Scientists predict that many of these youngest clusters will not survive because young clusters often outgas so much that they can disappear.”

“The large number of young star clusters indicates that ESO 185-IG013 was part of a recent galaxy collision and merger.”

“Disturbances in the galaxy's structure, likely caused by intense interactions between gas and dust during the collision, are another sign.”

“This merger provided the system with large amounts of fuel for star formation, which continues today.”

“ESO 185-IG013 also contains a tidal shell, and the diffuse light surrounding its bright center is a common signal of galaxy mergers,” the researchers said.

“We think that in galaxy mergers, the smaller of the two interacting galaxies is blocked by the larger galaxy and loses most of its material.”

“This causes matter to be ejected and then pulled back in by the gravity of the larger galaxy.”

“The dense region where material rearranges is called a shell, and it contains many star clusters. In addition to the shell, ESO 185-IG013 boasts a tail of gas to the northeast.”

Source: www.sci.news

The Hubble Space Telescope captures a distorted spiral galaxy

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Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have obtained a surprising new perspective of spiral galaxy UGC 3912.

This Hubble image shows UGC 3912, a small spiral galaxy located 63 million light-years away in the constellation Canis Major. Image credit: NASA / ESA / C. Kilpatrick, Northwestern University / Gladys Kober, NASA and The Catholic University of America.

UGC 3912also known as IRAS 07315+0439 or LEDA 21303, lies. 19.3 megaparsecs It is located in the constellation Canis Minor (63 million light years) from Earth.

“UGC 3912 is classified as a spiral galaxy, but you wouldn't know it from this detailed Hubble image,” said Hubble astronomers.

“This galaxy's distorted shape typically indicates a gravitational encounter with another galaxy.”

“When galaxies interact, meaning they bump into or collide with each other's gravitational fields, their stars, dust, and gas can be pulled into new paths.”

“UGC 3912 may have once been an organized-looking spiral, but now it appears to have been bent out of shape by a giant thumb.”

“Fortunately, when galaxies interact, individual stars and objects orbiting them remain intact, even though their orbits change dramatically and the shape of the galaxy as a whole changes.”

“That's because the distances between stars in galaxies are so great that they simply keep moving along new orbits without colliding with each other.”

Astronomers are studying UGC 3912 as part of their investigation into supernova activity. Supernova activity is when a star at least eight times the size of the Sun explodes at the end of its life.

“Hubble studies hydrogen-rich phenomena known as supernovae, one of several types of supernovae. Type II supernova” they explained.

“Although enough Type II supernovae have been observed, they exhibit highly variable properties in brightness and spectroscopy and are not well understood.”

Source: www.sci.news

Close-up of Arp 140 captured by Hubble Space Telescope

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The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has captured an excellent image of the interacting spiral lens galaxy pair Arp 140.

Lenticular galaxy NGC 274 can be seen on the right side of this Hubble image, and barred spiral galaxy NGC 275 can be seen on the left side. Image credit: NASA / ESA / R. Foley, University of California, Santa Cruz / Gladys Kober, NASA and The Catholic University of America.

Alp 140 Located approximately at 70 million light years Beyond Cetus.

This galaxy duo Atlas of unique galaxiesA catalog of 338 galaxies compiled in 1966 by American astronomer Halton Earp.

It consists of NGC274 (also known as LEDA 2980) and NGC275 (LEDA 2984).

NGC 274 is classified as a lenticular galaxy, and NGC 275 is classified as a barred spiral galaxy.

“Lentiform galaxies and barred spiral galaxies have different structures,” Hubble astronomer explained.

“In a barred spiral galaxy, a bar of stars runs through the galaxy's central bulge (seen here as a bright white vertical haze in NGC 275).”

“Typically, the arms of a galaxy begin at the end of the bar.”

“Lentiform galaxies, on the other hand, fall between elliptical and spiral galaxies,” the researchers added.

“Its name comes from its edgy appearance, which resembles a saucer.”

“Lenticular galaxies have a large central bulge and a flat disk-like spiral, but no spiral arms.”

“It doesn’t have much gas or dust, and it’s mainly made up of old stars.”

Previous observations of Arp 140 revealed a tidal tail extending light-years from NGC 275 beyond the interacting pair.

They also showed that, contrary to the often assumed picture of interacting galaxies, NGC 275 does not exhibit enhanced star formation.

Source: www.sci.news

Hubble Captures Images of Irregular Galaxy LEDA 6430

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NASA has released a stunning new image of the irregular galaxy LEDA 6430 captured by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.

This Hubble image shows LEDA 6430, an irregular galaxy about 15 million light-years away in the constellation Phoenix. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / M. Messa.

LEDA6430 It is located in Phoenix, a small constellation in the south, about 15 million light years from Earth.

This galaxy, also known as ESO 245-5 or HIPASS J0145-43, 15,000 light years Across.

“The Hubble image of LEDA 6430 shows a dense starry sky over a background of dust, gas, and light from more distant objects,” Hubble astronomers said in a statement.

“In the image, the stars take up most of the field of view, so it's a little difficult to realize that you're actually looking at a large portion of the galaxy.”

“Another reason why LEDA 6430 is probably a bit difficult to tell is a galaxy is its apparent lack of structure,” the astronomers added.

“We frequently enjoy Hubble's spectacular images of spiral galaxies, which are extremely interesting to watch, in part because the stars, gas, and dust appear to be arranged in an unusually orderly manner. .”

“In contrast, the LEDA 6430 de vaucouleurs system”

“The IB(s)m designation specifically means that the galaxy is irregular (I), banded (B), has a slight spiral structure (s), and is Magellanic (m). ”

“Irregularity is very intuitive in this context; galaxies do not appear to have a regular, ordered structure,” the researchers said.

“In fact, the entire landscape here is covered in stars from this galaxy.”

“The second term means there is a bar-like shape at the center of the galaxy, which is a dense expanse of stars across the center of this image.”

“Paragraph 3 says there are hints of a helical structure, but nothing clear or definitive (hence the 's' in parentheses).”

“Finally, the last term shows that LEDA 6430 is similar to the Magellanic Clouds, two dwarf galaxies that flank the Milky Way.”

Color images of the LEDA 6430 were created from separate exposures taken in the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared regions of the spectrum. Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) Equipment.

Five filters were used to sample different wavelengths. Color is obtained by assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter.

Source: www.sci.news

NGC 5427 captured in close-up by Hubble Space Telescope

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astronomer using NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope They captured a striking photo of NGC 5427, which is part of the interacting galaxy pair Arp 271.

This Hubble image shows NGC 5427, a spiral galaxy located about 120 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. Image credit: NASA / ESA / R. Foley, University of California, Santa Cruz / Gladys Kober, NASA and The Catholic University of America.

Alp 271 It was originally discovered in 1785 by German-born British astronomer William Herschel.

a pair that interacts consisting of Two spiral galaxies of similar size: NGC5426 and NGC5427.

It is located about 120 million light-years away toward the constellation Virgo, and its extent is about 130,000 light-years.

It is unclear whether the interaction experienced by NGC 5426 and NGC 5427 will end in a collision and ultimately lead to the merger of the two galaxies, or whether the galaxies will simply experience a very close encounter.

It is absolutely certain that they are already interacting with each other, as material has been stripped from galaxies to create bridges of stars and dust that connect them.

In the distant future, our Milky Way galaxy will undergo a similar collision with the Andromeda galaxy, which is currently located about 2.6 million light-years away from the Milky Way.

“NGC 5426 is below NGC 5427 and outside the frame of this image,” Hubble astronomers said.

“However, the gravitational effects of this pair can be seen in the distortion of the galaxy and the cosmic bridge of stars seen in the lower right region of the image.”

“NGC 5426 and NGC 5427 are locked in an interaction lasting tens of millions of years.”

“Whether they will eventually collide and merge is still uncertain, but their mutual attraction has already led to the birth of many new stars.”

“These young stars are visible in the faint bridge connecting the two galaxies at the bottom of the image.”

“Such bridges provide a path for the two galaxies to continue sharing gas and dust that will form new stars.”

“We believe Arp 271 serves as a blueprint for future interactions between the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies, which are expected to occur in about 4 billion years.”

Source: www.sci.news

The Hubble Space Telescope Observes Stunning Spiral Galaxies

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The Hubble team has released a stunning photo of the face-on spiral galaxy ESO 420-13 taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.

This Hubble image shows spiral galaxy ESO 420-13 facing forward. Image credit: NASA / ESA / University of Virginia A. Evans / Gladys Kober, NASA and The Catholic University of America.

ESO420-13 It is a spiral galaxy located south of the constellation Eridanus.

This galaxy, also known as LEDA 14702, IRAS 04118-3207, or 2MASX J04134969-3200252, Seyfert Galaxy.

“Dark dust lanes are visible against the backdrop of the glow of the galaxy's many stars,” Hubble astronomers said in a statement.

“About 10% of all galaxies in the universe are thought to be Seyfert galaxies.”

“They are typically spiral galaxies and have very bright nuclei, the result of a supermassive black hole at their center accreting large amounts of radiation-emitting material.”

“The centers of these active galaxies are the brightest when observed with light outside the visible spectrum.”

“Galaxies containing active galactic nuclei of this type are often so bright that the glow of the nucleus washes out the host galaxy itself.”

“But the Seyfert galaxy is unique because the galaxy itself is also visible.”

“In the case of ESO 420-13, we can enjoy the galaxy's almost perfectly round disk, brighter core, and swirling dark dust filaments.”

Astronomers observed ESO 420-13 as part of their research. bright infrared galaxy (LIRG).

“These galaxies are known to be very bright in the infrared part of the spectrum,” the researchers said.

“Galaxy interactions trigger new star-forming regions in LIRG that become extremely bright in infrared light.”

Source: www.sci.news

The Hubble Space Telescope’s Focus on Galaxies with Supernovae

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The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has taken new photos of the relatively small galaxy UGC 5189A in the constellation Leo.

This Hubble image shows UGC 5189A, an irregular galaxy about 150 million light-years away in the constellation Leo. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / A. Filippenko.

UGC 5189A It is located approximately 150 million light years away in the constellation Leo.

This galaxy, also known as ECO 5363 or LEDA 27776, was observed by Hubble in 2010 to study supernova explosions.

This special supernova SN2010jlwas notable for its enormous brightness.

“In fact, over a three-year period, SN 2010jl alone emitted at least 2.5 billion times more visible energy than the Sun emitted in the same time frame across all wavelengths,” Hubble astronomers said.

“Even after a supernova has dimmed to an unobservable level, it can still be interesting to study the environment in which it occurred.”

“This could provide us with valuable information. Supernovae can occur for a variety of reasons, and understanding the environment in which they occur can help us understand why supernovae are triggered. It will help you better understand the necessary conditions.”

“Furthermore, follow-up studies after a supernova explosion could improve our understanding of the immediate aftermath of a supernova explosion, from the powerful effects on the surrounding gas and dust to the stellar debris left behind by the supernova.”

“To this end, UGC 5189A has been observed by Hubble many times since 2010.”

This new image of UGC 5189A consists of observations from. Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) Found in the ultraviolet and optical parts of the spectrum.

Two filters were used to sample different wavelengths. Color is obtained by assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter.

“This image is from data collected in three recent Hubble studies of UGC 5189A, which also examined several other relatively nearby galaxies that have recently gone supernova. “Relatively nearby” in this context means approximately 100 million light years away. ” said the astronomers.

Source: www.sci.news

Giant cyclone found in the atmosphere of WASP-121b by Hubble

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Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have detected a giant cyclone and other dynamic weather activity swirling around WASP-121b, an ultra-hot Jovian exoplanet about 881 light-years away in the constellation Papis. Detected.

This artist's illustration shows WASP-121b, an alien world where magnesium and iron gases are being lost from the atmosphere. Image credit: NASA/ESA/J. Olmsted, STScI.

WASP-121b is a gas giant exoplanet that is 1.87 times larger and 1.18 times heavier than Jupiter.

First discovered in 2016, the alien star takes just 1.3 days to orbit its parent star, F6 star WASP-121.

WASP-121b is so close to the star that if it got any closer, the star's gravity would begin to tear it apart.

Astronomers estimate that the planet's temperature is around 2,500 degrees Celsius (4,600 degrees Fahrenheit), hot enough to boil some metals.

In the new study, Caltech astronomer Jack Skinner and colleagues analyzed observations of WASP-12 b taken by Hubble in 2016, 2018, and 2019.

Researchers discovered that the planet has a dynamic atmosphere that changes over time.

Using advanced modeling techniques, they demonstrated that these dramatic temporal variations can be explained by weather patterns in the exoplanet's atmosphere.

They found that WASP-121b's atmosphere showed marked differences between observations.

Most dramatically, large temperature differences between the star-facing and dark sides of exoplanets can repeatedly generate and destroy large weather fronts, storms, and massive cyclones. .

The authors also note that there is an apparent misalignment between the hottest region of an exoplanet and the point on the planet closest to its star, as well as variability in the chemical composition of the exoplanet's atmosphere (spectroscopically measurement) was also detected.

They reached these conclusions by using computational models that help explain observed changes in the exoplanet's atmosphere.

“The incredible detail of exoplanet atmosphere simulations allows us to accurately model the climate of superhot planets like WASP-121b,” Dr. Skinner said.

“Now we have made significant progress by combining observational constraints and atmospheric simulations to understand the time-varying weather of these planets.”

“This is a very interesting result as we continue to observe the weather patterns of exoplanets,” said Dr. Quentin Cheniato, an astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute.

“Studying exoplanet climates is critical to understanding the complexity of exoplanet atmospheres on other worlds, especially in the search for exoplanets with habitable conditions.”

“The assembled dataset represents a significant amount of observation time for a single planet and is currently the only consistent set of such repeated observations.”

“The information we extracted from those observations was used to infer WASP-121b's atmospheric chemistry, temperature, and clouds at different times.”

“This yielded exquisite images of the planet as it changes over time.”

of the team paper will be published in Astrophysical Journal Appendix Series.

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Quentin Changeato other. 2024. Will the atmosphere of superhot Jupiter WASP-121b change? APJS, in press. arXiv: 2401.01465

Source: www.sci.news

Hubble captures the stunning collision of two spiral galaxies in Arp 122

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This cosmic encounter is known as Arp 122, and here: NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.

Two spiral galaxies, NGC 6040 and NGC 6039, have merged on the right side of this Hubble image. NGC 6039 is circular when viewed from the front. NGC 6040 appears to be before the first one. In the lower left corner of the frame, elliptical galaxy NGC 6041, the central member of the galaxy cluster in which Arp 122 resides, is visible as light emanating from a point. This color image was created in both the visible and infrared regions of the spectrum using Hubble's Altitude Survey Camera (ACS) and the Dark Energy Camera mounted on NSF's Victor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter. Created from separate exposures taken in the area. -American Observatory of Chile. Four filters were used to sample different wavelengths. Color is obtained by assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter. Image credits: NASA / ESA / Hubble / J. Dalcanton / Dark Energy Survey / DOE / FNAL / DECam / CTIO / NOIRLab / NSF / AURA / L. Shatz.

Alp 122 It is located in the constellation Hercules, approximately 570 million light years from Earth.

This system consists of two galaxies: a tilted and distorted spiral galaxy; NGC6040 and the spiral galaxy in front of me NGC6039.

“Galaxy collisions and mergers are highly energetic and dramatic events, but they occur on very slow timescales,” Hubble astronomers said in a statement.

“For example, our Milky Way galaxy is on a colliding orbit with its nearest galactic neighbor, the Andromeda galaxy, but it will still be four billion years before these two galaxies actually meet. ”

“The process of collision and fusion will not end soon either; it may take hundreds of millions of years to unfold.”

“These collisions take a very long time because they have very long distances.”

“Galaxies are composed of stars and their solar systems, dust and gas,” the researchers added.

“Over time, the structures of two (or more) colliding galaxies may change completely, eventually forming a single, merged galaxy.”

“That could be the result of the collision seen in this image.”

“Galaxies resulting from mergers are thought to have regular or elliptical structures because the merger process destroys more complex structures (such as those observed in spiral galaxies).”

“It will be interesting to see what Arp 122 will look like once this collision is complete, but that won't happen for a long time.”

Source: www.sci.news

The Hubble Telescope uncovers countless faraway galaxies in the constellation Cetus

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New infrared images taken with wide field camera 3 (WFC3) onboard the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows dozens of galaxies in the constellation Cetus, including SDSS J020941.27+001558.4, SDSS J020941.23+001600.7, and HerS J020941.1+001557. Masu.

This Hubble image shows a variety of distant galaxies in the constellation Cetus. Most galaxies are very small, but there are also some larger galaxies and some stars that can be seen in detail. At its center is an elliptical galaxy with a bright nucleus and a wide disk. A reddish, distorted ring of light surrounds its center, thicker on one side. Small galaxies intersect the rings as bright spots. Image credits: NASA / ESA / Hubble / H. Nayyeri / L. Marchetti / J. Lowenthal.

“What are we looking at when we study this image?” Hubble astronomers said in a statement.

“A distant galaxy 19.5 billion light-years away from Earth? Or a much closer (relatively) tiny glowing red galaxy 2.7 billion light-years away? Or a third galaxy that appears to be much closer to the second galaxy? Is not it?”

“The answer, perhaps confusingly, is that we are considering all three.”

“More precisely, we see light emitted from all of these galaxies, even though the farthest galaxy from Earth is directly behind the first.”

“In fact, it's that very alignment that makes the particular visuals of this image possible.”

“The bright spot in the center of this image is one of our closest galaxies, known by a long (but informative) name. SDSS J020941.27+001558.4,” they said.

“Another bright spot above it appears to be intersected by a curved crescent of light, SDSS J020941.23+001600.7, is the second closest galaxy. ”

“And finally, that curved crescent of light itself is 'lensed' light from a very distant galaxy. Girlfriend J020941.1+001557”

Her J020941.1+001557 light was bent by the gravity of the foreground galaxy and expanded into a circular shape called an Einstein ring.

“Einstein rings occur when light from a very distant object bends around a large intermediate object,” the astronomers said.

“This is possible because the fabric of the universe itself, spacetime, is bent by mass, and so is light traveling through spacetime.”

“This is too subtle to observe at a local level, but when dealing with the curvature of light on large astronomical scales, for example when light emitted from a galaxy bends around another galaxy or galaxy cluster, , may become clearly observable.”

“When the lensed object and the lensed object are aligned in such a way, the result is a unique Einstein ring shape, with a complete or partial ring around the lensed object, depending on the precision of the alignment. A circle of light appears.

“This partial Einstein ring is of particular interest because it was identified thanks to a citizen science project. space warp — means that the public made the discovery of this object possible. ”

Source: www.sci.news

‘Saturn’s Rings Revealed: Hubble Space Telescope Discovers Intriguing ‘Spokes’ within’

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Saturn, a gas giant, is known for its iconic ring system. But its B ring may have spots or streaks of denser or brighter material known as spokes, which may be related to the dust’s interaction with the planet’s magnetic field. A new image of Saturn taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope on October 22, 2023 reveals the spokes of its rings.

This Hubble image shows Saturn, its bright white rings, and its three moons: Mimas, Dione, and Enceladus. Features on the left and right spokes of the ring appear as faint gray smudges against the ring’s bright background, approximately halfway from the planet to the ring’s outer edge. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / STScI / Amy Simon, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

Saturn’s spokes (so named because they resemble bicycle spokes) are temporary features that rotate with the rings.

Their ghostly appearance only lasts for two or three revolutions around the giant planet.

During the active period, newly formed spokes continually add to the pattern.

ring spokes first photographed by NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft in 1981.

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft also discovered Spoke during its 13-year mission that ended in 2017.

Hubble continues to observe Saturn every year as its spokes come and go. This cycle is captured by Hubble’s Outer Planet Atmospheric Legacy (OPAL) program, which was launched nearly a decade ago to annually monitor weather changes on all four gas giants.

Hubble’s clear images show that the frequency of the spokes’ appearance is seasonal, and they appeared in the OPAL data for the first time in 2021, but only on the morning side of the ring.

Long-term monitoring has shown that both the number and contrast of spokes change with Saturn’s seasons.

“We’re heading towards the Saturn equinox, when the spoke activity is expected to be at its peak, and we’re going to have a lot of activity in the coming months,” said Dr. Amy Simon, an astronomer at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and chief scientist at the space flight center. “Over the years we will see higher frequencies and darker spokes.” opal program.

“This year, these ephemeral structures will appear on both sides of the Earth simultaneously, rotating around the giant world.”

“Although it appears small compared to Saturn, its length and width could extend beyond the diameter of Earth.”

“The leading theory is that the spokes are connected to Saturn’s strong magnetic field, and that the sun has some kind of interaction with that field that creates the spokes.”

“As we approach Saturn’s vernal equinox, Saturn and its rings tilt less away from the Sun.”

“In this configuration, the solar wind could hit Saturn’s massive magnetic field even harder, promoting spoke formation.”

“Planetary scientists believe that the electrostatic forces generated by this interaction cause the dust and ice to float above the ring, forming the spokes, but even after decades, no theory has been able to fully predict the formation of the spokes. I won’t.”

“Continuing Hubble observations may ultimately help solve the mystery.”

Source: www.sci.news

NASA’s Webb and Hubble team up to capture the most vivid image of the universe

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This panchromatic view of galaxy cluster MACS0416 was created by combining infrared observations from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope with visible-light data from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Jose M. Diego (IFCA), Jordan CJ D’Silva (UWA), Anton M. Koekemoer (STScI), Jake Summers (ASU), Rogier Windhorst (ASU), Haojing Yan ( University of Missouri)https://chat.openai.com/c/de5c3def-7d31-49b0-bd44-3d61675a3ae5

The result is a vivid landscape of the galaxy and more than a dozen newly discovered time-changing objects.

When the two flagship observatories come together, they reveal a wealth of new details that are only possible through their combined power. Webb and Hubble collaborated on studying MACS0416, a galaxy cluster about 4.3 billion light-years from Earth. Combining these data yields a prismatic panorama of blue and red. These colors provide clues to the galaxy’s distance. While the images themselves are surprising, researchers are already using these observations to fuel new scientific discoveries, such as identifying gravitationally expanded supernovae and ordinary stars.

This side-by-side comparison of galaxy cluster MACS0416 seen in optical light from the Hubble Space Telescope (left) and infrared light from the James Webb Space Telescope (right) reveals different details. Both images show hundreds of galaxies, but the Webb image shows galaxies that are invisible or only barely visible in the Hubble image. This is because Webb’s infrared vision can detect galaxies that are too far away or covered in dust to be seen by Hubble. (Light from distant galaxies is redshifted due to the expansion of the universe.) Webb’s total exposure time was about 22 hours, while the exposure time of the Hubble image was his 122 hours. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

NASA’s Webb Space Telescope and Hubble Space Telescope combine to create the most colorful view of the universe. NASA’s james webb space telescope and hubble space telescope They teamed up to study a vast galaxy cluster known as MACS0416. The resulting panchromatic images combine visible and infrared light to assemble one of the most comprehensive views of the universe ever captured. MACS0416, located approximately 4.3 billion light-years from Earth, is a pair of colliding galaxy clusters that will eventually merge to form an even larger cluster. Details revealed by the combination of stretching and contraction forces

This image reveals a wealth of detail only possible by combining the power of both space telescopes. This includes an abundance of galaxies outside the cluster and a scattering of light sources that change over time, possibly due to gravitational lensing (distortion and amplification of light from distant background sources). It is.

The galaxy cluster was the first in a series of unprecedented cosmic views into ultra-deep space from an ambitious joint Hubble program called Frontier Fields, launched in 2014. Hubble pioneered the search for some of the faintest and youngest galaxies ever detected. Webb’s infrared vision greatly enhances this deep observation by going even deeper into the early universe with its infrared vision.

This image of galaxy cluster MACS0416 highlights gravitational lensing background galaxies that existed about 3 billion years after the Big Bang. The galaxy contains an ephemeral object that the scientific team has named Mothra, whose brightness changes over time. Mothra is a star that is magnified at least 4,000 times. The researchers believe that Mothra is magnified not only by the gravity of the galaxy cluster MACS 0416, but also by an object known as a millilens, which weighs about the same as the globular cluster. Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Jose M. Diego (IFCA), Jordan CJ D’Silva (UWA), Anton M. Koekemoer (STScI), Jake Summers (ASU), Rogier Windhorst (ASU), Haojing Yan ( University of Missouri)

Roger Windhorst of Arizona State University, principal investigator of the PEARLS program (Extragalactic Field for Reionization and Lensing Science), which carried out the Webb observations, said: “We are looking at objects that are farther away and fainter. “By doing so, we are building on Hubble’s legacy.”Understand image color and scientific goals

To create the images, the shortest wavelengths of light were generally color-coded as blue, the longest wavelengths as red, and the intermediate wavelengths as green. The wide range of wavelengths from 0.4 to 5 microns provides particularly vivid galactic landscapes.

These colors provide clues to the galaxy’s distance. The bluest galaxies, as most commonly detected by Hubble, are relatively nearby and often exhibit intense star formation, while the redder galaxies, as detected by Webb, tend to be more distant. Some galaxies appear very red because they contain large amounts of cosmic dust that tends to absorb bluer-colored starlight.

“Until we combine the Webb data with the Hubble data, we won’t get the full picture,” Windhorst said.Scientific discoveries and the “Christmas Tree Galaxy Cluster”

New Webb observations contribute to this aesthetic view, but they were taken for a specific scientific purpose. The research team combined his three epochs, each conducted a few weeks apart, with his fourth epoch by the CANUCS (Canadian NIRISS Unbiased Cluster Survey) research team. The goal was to search for objects that change in brightness observed over time, known as transients.

They identified 14 such transients across the visual field. Twelve of these transients are located in three galaxies that are highly magnified by gravitational lensing, and may be individual stars or star systems that are temporarily highly magnified. The remaining two transients are in more moderately expanded background galaxies and may be supernovae.

“We call MACS 0416 the Christmas Tree Galaxy Cluster, both because it is so colorful and because of the flashing lights found within it. Transients are seen everywhere. ” said Haojing Yang of the University of Missouri-Columbia, lead author of a paper describing the scientific results.

Among the transients the team identified, one in particular stood out. It is located in a galaxy that existed about 3 billion years after the Big Bang and has been magnified by at least 4,000 times. The research team nicknamed the system “Mothra” for its “monstrous nature” of being extremely bright and highly magnified. It joins another lensed star that researchers previously identified and named “Godzilla.” (Godzilla and Mothra are both giant monsters known as kaiju in Japanese movies.)

Interestingly, Mothra can also be seen in Hubble observations taken nine years ago. This is unusual because zooming in on stars this much requires a very specific alignment between the foreground galaxy cluster and the background stars. The mutual motion of stars and star clusters should eventually dissolve the alignment.

Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Jose M. Diego (IFCA), Jordan CJ D’Silva (UWA), Anton M. Koekemoer (STScI), Jake Summers (ASU), Rogier Windhorst (ASU), Haojing Yan ( University of Missouri)”

Source: scitechdaily.com