Tag Archives: Irregular

Webb Observations Reveal Two Stars Shape the Irregular Structure of NGC 6072

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Astronomers captured a new high-resolution image of the planetary nebula NGC 6072 using two instruments on board the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope.

This Webb/Nircam image depicts NGC 6072, a planetary nebula located about 4,048 light years away in the constellation of Scorpius. Photo credits: NASA/ESA/CSA/STSCI.

NGC 6072 is situated approximately 1,241 parsecs (4,048 light years) away from the southern constellations of Scorpius.

Also known by designations such as ESO 389-15, HEN 2-148, and IRAS 16097-3606, this nebula has a dynamic age of about 10,000 years.

It was first discovered by British astronomer John Herschel on June 7, 1837.

“Since their discovery in the 1700s, astronomers have learned that planetary nebulae, the expanding shells of luminous gases expelled by dying stars, can take on various shapes and forms,” noted Webb astronomers.

“While most planetary nebulae are circular, elliptical, or bipolar, the new Webb image of NGC 6072 reveals a more complex structure.”

Images captured by Webb’s Nircam (near-infrared camera) suggest that NGC 6072 displays a multipolar configuration.

“This indicates there are multiple oval lobes being ejected from the center in various directions,” the astronomers explained.

“These outflows compress the surrounding gas into a disk-like structure.”

“This suggests the presence of at least two stars at the center of this nebula.”

“In particular, a companion star appears to be interacting with an aging star, drawing in some of its outer gas and dust layers.”

The central area of the nebula glows due to hot stars, reflected in the light blue hue characteristic of near-infrared light.

The dark orange regions, composed of gas and dust, create pockets and voids appearing dark blue.

This material likely forms when dense molecules shield themselves from the intense radiation emitted by the central star.

There may also be a temporal aspect; for thousands of years, rapid winds from the main star could have been blowing away the surrounding material as it loses mass.

This web/milli image highlights the planetary nebula NGC 6072. Image credits: NASA/ESA/CSA/STSCI.

The long wavelengths captured by Webb’s Miri (mid-infrared instrument) emphasize the dust, unveiling a star that astronomers believe resides at the center of the nebula.

“The image appears as a small pink dot,” remarked the researchers.

“The mid-infrared wavelengths also reveal a concentric ring expanding outward from the central region.

“This might indicate the presence of a secondary star at the heart of the nebula, obscured from direct observation.”

“This secondary star orbits the primary star, creating rings of material that spiral outward as the original star sheds mass over time.”

“The red regions captured by Nircam and the blue areas highlighted by Miri track cool molecular gases (likely molecular hydrogen), while the central region tracks hot ionized gases.”

Source: www.sci.news

Investigating Tesla’s Robotaxi Launch: Irregular Driving Captured in Video

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Major US transportation safety regulators are seeking information from Tesla following videos that appear to show the vehicles exceeding speed limits and autonomous robotaxis driving in the wrong lanes. The company unveiled its service in Austin, Texas, over the weekend.

Tesla has notably expedited the initial limited rollout of its Robotaxis, with some influencers being paid to showcase their experiences. However, rather than serve as effective promotion, these videos seem to have drawn the scrutiny of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), particularly as the cars struggled to adhere to traffic regulations.

“The NHTSA is aware of the mentioned case and is in communication with the manufacturer to gather further information,” the agency stated.


The debut of Robotaxi over the weekend featured about 10 “safety drivers” in the passenger seats navigating Austin’s designated areas. Tesla CEO Elon Musk promoted the launch as a significant achievement and committed to enhancing driving safety, but some influencers shared videos that appeared to show glitches or speeding incidents involving the Robotaxis.

One video shared by a Tesla investor, who previously hosted a podcast regarding the brand, displayed a Robotaxi wobbling after misinterpreting a left turn, crossing over a double yellow line before correcting itself. During this time, there were no oncoming vehicles.

In another clip, a pro-Tesla YouTuber praised a car for maintaining speed within legal limits.

Musk has placed significant stakes on the future of the carmaker tied to the Robotaxi program, having long presented a vision where millions of self-driving cars traverse cities globally. Both regulators and investors are closely examining whether Tesla can convert these prospects into tangible outcomes and if it can sustain its operations. Musk’s prolonged history of unmet promises.

“We anticipate millions of Teslas to function entirely autonomously by next year,” Musk declared during an earnings call in April, having made a similar assertion in 2019.

The NHTSA has not pre-emptively greenlit new technologies or driving systems, the statement mentioned. Instead, the manufacturer affirms that the vehicle meets the agency’s standards, while investigators assess potential safety defects. The NHTSA reviews the reports and related information to determine how to tackle road safety concerns.

“NHTSA will persist in enforcing regulations for all automobile manufacturers in accordance with the Automobile Safety Act and our data-driven, risk-based investigation methodology,” the agency remarked.

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Robotaxis has gained heightened significance for Tesla this year, particularly as first-quarter sales declined and profits plummeted by 71% year-on-year. Despite diminishing revenues, Musk asserted that Tesla’s Robotaxis are destined to be the future of transportation.

In addition to a preliminary inquiry into Robotaxis, the NHTSA is also conducting an open investigation that began in 2024 to assess the safety of Tesla’s “full self-driving” mode under conditions of reduced visibility. Tesla was reported to have deployed autonomous functions which resulted in a fatality of a 71-year-old woman in 2023 while driving in Arizona during sunset when glare affected road visibility.

Source: www.theguardian.com

White dwarf binary system linked to irregular radio signals

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Astrophysicists have discovered ILT J110160.52+552119.62, a recently discovered temporary radio source, and that the arrival of that approximately one minute pulse with a periodicity of 125.5 minutes is a red-white, white-white dwarf binary system with orbital periods that match the orbital period observed when two stars are observed when they are engaging.

Artistic illustration showing radioactive pulses emitted by the binary star system: white d star orbit around a red d star. Image credits: Daniëlle Futselaar/Artsource.nl.

In recent years, astronomers have detected radio pulses from sources in the Milky Way that last from seconds to minutes.

These pulses differ from what you would expect from known pulsars that produce pulses on the order of milliseconds.

Furthermore, unlike radiopulsars, these so-called long-term transients (LPTs) are periodic on timescales ranging from minutes to hours.

There have been some hypotheses regarding the origin of these novel pulses, but evidence is scarce.

“There are several highly magnetized neutron stars or magnetores known to exhibit radio pulses in periods of a few seconds,” said Charles Kilpatrick, a northwestern astrophysicist.

“Some astrophysicists also claim that the source is spinning and can emit pulses at regular time intervals, so radio emissions are only shown when the source rotates towards us.”

“I know now that at least some long-term radio transients come from binary.”

“We hope this motivates radio astronomers to localize new classes of sources that could arise from neutron stars or magnetoresistance binaries.”

In their study, Dr. Kilpatrick and colleagues focused on periodic radio signals from transient radio sources designated as ILT J110160.52+552119.62 (ILT J1101+5521);

New imaging techniques were used to detect some of these radio pulses in data collected by low frequency arrays (LOFAR).

Behaving like a large radio camera, the telescope can pinpoint the exact location of the radio source in the sky.

According to the team, the Object is about 1,600 light years away in the Ursa major's constellation.

Follow-up observations with multiple mirror telescopes of 6.5 m diameter in Arizona and the Texas Hobby and Everly telescope showed that the ILT J1101+5521 is not a single flashing star, but two stars that cause pulses together.

A white dwarf in orbit around the two stars, the red war star, brings a common center of gravity into orbit every 125.5 minutes.

Researchers say there are two possibilities for the way stars produce unusually long radio pulses.

Potentially, radio bursts can be emitted from the strong magnetic field of a white dwarf or generated by the interaction of a white dwarf and its stellar companion magnetic field.

However, further observation is required to make this clear.

“Thanks to this discovery, we know that compact objects other than neutron stars can produce bright radio emissions,” says Dr. Kaustub Rajwade, an astronomer at Oxford University.

Discoveries are reported in a paper It's published in the journal today Natural Astronomy.

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I. de Ruiter et al. Sporadicated radio pulses from white dwarf binaries during orbit. Nut AthlonPublished online on March 12, 2025. doi:10.1038/s41550-025-02491-0

Source: www.sci.news

Webb focuses on irregular galaxy NGC 4449

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Astronomers using the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope have captured stunning new photos of NGC 4449, located in the constellation Canes Venatici.

This Webb/MIRI/NIRCam image shows the center of irregular galaxy NGC 4449. Image credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / Webb / A. Adamo, Stockholm University / FEAST JWST Team.

NGC 4449 It is located about 12.5 million light years away in the constellation Canes Venatici.

Also known as Caldwell 21, LEDA 40973, and UGC 7592, the galaxy has a diameter of about 20,000 light-years.

NGC 4449 discovered It was discovered on April 27, 1788 by German-born British astronomer William Herschel.

It is part of the M94 galaxy group, lie It is near the Local Group that hosts our Milky Way galaxy.

“NGC 4449 has been forming stars for billions of years, but star formation is occurring at a much higher rate today than in the past,” astronomer Webb said.

“Such unusually explosive and intense star formation activity is called a starburst, and NGC 4449 is therefore known as a starburst galaxy.”

“Indeed, at the current rate of star formation, the gas supply required for star formation will last only another billion years or so.”

“Starbursts typically occur in the centres of galaxies, but NGC 4449 shows more widespread star formation activity, with very young stars observed both in the galaxy's core and in the outflow that surrounds it.”

“The current widespread starburst is likely caused by an interaction or merger with a smaller companion star.”

“Indeed, star formation in NGC 4449 is likely influenced by interactions with several nearby stars.”

“NGC 4449 resembles a primitive star-forming galaxy that grew by merging and accreting with smaller stellar systems,” the researchers added.

“NGC 4449 is close enough for us to observe it in great detail, making it an ideal laboratory for studying what happened during the formation and evolution of galaxies in the early universe.”

This Webb/NIRCam image shows the irregular galaxy NGC 4449. Image courtesy of NASA / ESA / CSA / Webb / A. Adamo, Stockholm University / FEAST JWST Team.

NGC 4449 was observed as part of the FEAST (Feedback in Emerging extrAgalactic Star cluSTers) survey.

The image is MIRI on the Web (mid-infrared measuring instrument) and NIR Cam (Near infrared camera) equipment.

“Infrared observations reveal the galaxy's crawling tentacles of gas, dust and stars,” the astronomers said.

“The bright blue dots reveal countless individual stars, while the bright yellow regions spread across the galaxy show concentrated active stellar nurseries where new stars are forming.”

“The orange-red areas show the distribution of a type of carbon-based compound known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The MIRI F770W filter is particularly well suited to imaging these important molecules.”

“The bright red spots correspond to hydrogen-rich regions that have been ionized by radiation from newly formed stars.”

“The diffuse gradient of blue light around the central region indicates the distribution of old stars.”

“The compact light blue regions within the red ionized gas are concentrated mainly in the outer regions of the galaxy and represent the distribution of young star clusters.”

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