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Hubble Observes Stunning Breakup of Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS)

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The spectacular breakup of comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS), observed by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, sheds light on the fragile nature of cometary cores and their evolution.

These Hubble images of the fragmenting comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) were captured from November 8 to 10, 2025. Image credit: NASA / ESA / D. Bodewits, Auburn / J. DePasquale, STScI.

“Sometimes the best science is a serendipitous discovery,” remarks study co-author John Noonan, a professor at Auburn University.

“This comet was initially observed due to new technical constraints that rendered the original target unobservable following our proposal win.”

“We had to find a new target, and just as we began observing it, it remarkably began to disintegrate. This is immensely rare.”

C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) reached perihelion—its closest approach to the Sun—on October 8, 2025, at a distance of 0.33 AU.

This event occurred inside Mercury’s orbit, about a third of the way between Earth and the Sun, where the comet faced extreme heating and stress.

Hubble’s images taken from November 8 to 10, 2025, captured five distinct pieces, offering a high-resolution glimpse of the comet’s core disintegrating.

“Never before have we observed a comet’s breakup with such precision,” Professor Noonan stated.

“Typically, we see such events weeks or even months later. This time, we captured it just days after it happened.”

“This crucial moment enhances our understanding of the physics at play on comet surfaces.”

“We may be observing the timeline required to generate a significant dust layer that can be expelled by gas.”

Currently, C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) consists of debris approximately 400 million km from Earth.

This comet, located in the constellation Pisces, is on the verge of exiting the solar system and is not expected to return.

Astronomers suggest that long-period comets like C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) are more prone to breakup compared to short-period comets such as 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, which was visited by ESA’s Rosetta mission; the reasons for this remain uncertain.

ESA’s Comet Interceptor, set to launch toward the end of the decade, will mark the first mission destined to visit a long-period comet.

Professor Colin Snodgrass from the University of Edinburgh remarked, “Hubble’s fortunate observation of C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) will significantly aid our understanding of the breakup mechanisms in long-period comets, allowing us to investigate their interiors for the first time.”

“These findings will not just complement the detailed investigations of long-period comets expected from Comet Interceptor, but also assist astronomers in selecting future mission targets.”

Refer to the study published in the Journal Icarus on February 6, 2026.

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D. Bodewits et al. Continuous fragmentation after C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) passed near the Sun. Icarus, published online on February 6, 2026. doi: 10.1016/j.icarus.2026.116996

Source: www.sci.news

Hubble Observes the Collision of Two Planetesimals near Fomalhaut

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Fomalhaut, the 18th brightest star visible in the night sky, is orbited by the compact light source Fomalhaut b, which has been previously interpreted as either a dusty exoplanet or debris from a collision of two planetesimals. While such collisions are seldom witnessed, their remnants can be captured in images. Recent observations from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope indicate that a second point source is expected to appear around Fomalhaut in 2023, reminiscent of Fomalhaut b’s appearance two decades ago. Astronomer Paul Karas from the University of California, Berkeley, and his team suggest this new source is a dust cloud resulting from a recent collision between two planetesimals.

This Hubble image shows the debris ring and dust clouds CS1 and CS2 around Fomalhaut. Image credit: NASA / ESA / P. Kalas, University of California, Berkeley / J. DePasquale, STScI.

Fomalhaut is an A-type star located a mere 25 light-years away in the constellation Austrinus Pisces.

The name Fomalhaut originates from its Arabic name, Hum Al Hat, which translates to “fish mouth.”

This star is twice as massive and 20 times more luminous than the Sun, encircled by a ring of dust and debris.

In 2008, astronomers utilized Hubble to identify a potential planet surrounding Fomalhaut, marking it as the first star system where a potential planet was detected using visible light.

The object termed Fomalhaut b presently resembles a dust cloud that appears akin to a planet, resulting from a planetesimal impact.

During new Hubble observations aimed at locating Fomalhaut b, Dr. Karas and his colleagues were astonished to discover a second point of light positioned similarly around the star.

This new object has been dubbed Stellar Frequency Source 2 (cs2), while the original object is now referred to as cs1.

“This is definitely the first instance we’ve observed a point of light spontaneously appearing in an exoplanetary system,” remarked Dr. Karas.

“Hubble images up to now have not shown this. What we’re witnessing is a violent collision between two massive bodies creating an enormous debris cloud, unlike anything else currently seen in our solar system. It’s incredible.”

The proximity of these two debris clouds remains a puzzle for astronomers.

If asteroid and planetesimal collisions were random, cs1 and cs2 should ideally be found in unrelated positions.

However, they are intriguingly located close together along the inner edge of Fomalhaut’s outer debris disk.

Another enigma is the occurrence of these two events in such a brief timespan.

“Previous theories indicated that impacts should occur roughly once every 100,000 years or more. Yet, we’ve observed two impacts in just 20 years,” Dr. Karas noted.

“If you had movies from the past 3,000 years and fast-forwarded them to make a year just a fraction of a second, imagine how many flashes you’d see during that period.”

“The Fomalhaut planetary system will continue to provide insights into these collisions.”

Collisions are crucial for the evolution of planetary systems, yet they are infrequent and challenging to study.

Dr. Mark Wyatt, an astronomer at the University of Cambridge, stated: “The intrigue of this observation lies in its ability to assist researchers in estimating the size of the impactor and the number of objects present in the disk. This data is nearly impossible to obtain through other methods.”

“We estimate that the planetesimals destroyed to form CS1 and CS2 were only around 30 km in diameter, suggesting there are approximately 300 million such objects orbiting the Fomalhaut system.”

“This system effectively serves as a natural laboratory for studying the behavior of planetesimals during collisions, enabling us to learn about their composition and formation.”

For further details, see this result. Featured in this week’s Science diary.

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Paul Kalas and colleagues. 2025. Second planetesimal impact in the Fomalhaut system. Science published online on December 18, 2025. doi: 10.1126/science.adu6266

Source: www.sci.news

ALMA Observes Spiral Gas Streamers Controlled by Magnetic Fields in Star-Forming Areas

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This stream of gas transports material from the clouds surrounding the star-forming area within Perseus directly into an emerging binary star system known as SVS 13A.

Artist’s impression of the SVS 13A system. Image credit: NSF/AUI/NSF’s NRAO/P.Vosteen.

Stars are formed from clouds of gas and dust, and recent observations indicate that the process of star formation is far more dynamic than previously understood.

New findings from the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) reveal both dust and molecules swirling around the SVS 13A system. This data shows how the magnetic field not only permeates these stellar nurseries but actively directs the flow of matter, offering a preferred path for gas to accumulate in the disk where new stars and planets arise.

“Visualize a garden hose, but instead of water, it smoothly channels materials for star formation through intricate pathways carved by unseen forces,” explains Dr. Paulo Cortes, an astronomer at the NSF National Radio Astronomy Observatory and the joint ALMA telescope.

“This perspective from ALMA observations presents channels of gas known as subalfvénic streamers, regulated by spiral magnetic field lines.”

“This new data provides an insightful glimpse into the star formation process.”

“These streamers illustrate how magnetic fields can influence star formation by managing material influx, akin to a private highway facilitating car travel.”

ALMA’s images and findings uncover two spiral arms of dust encircling the star, with gas streams closely mirroring the same trajectory.

This remarkable configuration implies that the gas within the streamer is traversing at a slower pace than previously believed, reinforcing the concept of a magnetized channel rather than a chaotic, collapsing cloud.

The presence of such streamers, linking clouds to disks and supplying them with material in a managed fashion, indicates that both gravity and magnetism are crucial in the formation of stars and the shaping of potential planetary bodies around them.

This groundbreaking result signifies the first instance where astronomers have directly mapped both a streamer and its associated magnetic field in a single observation.

“Subalfvenic streamers indicate a fresh role for magnetic fields amidst gravitational dominance, acting as ‘guides’ to assist the descent of material from the outer envelope to the disk,” the astronomers remarked.

Upcoming findings are detailed in a paper in the Astrophysics Journal Letter.

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PC Cortez et al. 2025. First results from ALPPS: SVS 13A subalfvenic streamer. APJL 992, L31; doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ae0c04

Source: www.sci.news

Webb Observes Sagittarius B2 in an Interstellar Molecular Cloud

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Positioned at the core of the Milky Way galaxy, Sagittarius B2 is an immense molecular cloud of gas and dust, boasting around 3 million times the mass of the sun.

The Sagittarius B2 molecular cloud, where stars, gases, and cosmic dust shimmer in near-infrared light, as captured by Webb’s Nircam instruments. Image credits: NASA/ESA/CSA/STSCI/A. GINSBURG, University of Florida/N. Budaiyev, University of Florida/T. Yu, University of Florida/A. Pagan, STSCI.

The distance from Earth to Sagittarius B2 is roughly 27,000 light years, while it sits just 390 light years from the center of the Milky Way.

This is the largest and most active star-forming cloud within our galaxy, accounting for half of the stars birthed in the central region, even though it comprises merely 10% of the material required for star formation in that area.

“Sagittarius B2 is situated just hundreds of light years away from the supermassive black hole located at the galaxy’s center, right at the heart of star formation.”

“Webb’s infrared observations can penetrate some of the dense clouds present, uncovering young stars alongside the warm dust enveloping them.”

“Examining Webb’s findings aids in unraveling the long-standing enigma surrounding the star formation process and why Sagittarius B2 generates stars at a rate surpassing other galaxy centers.”

“Interestingly, one of the most striking elements of Webb’s imagery of Sagittarius B2 is the regions that remain dark.”

“These seemingly vacant areas of space are so tightly packed with gas and dust that even Webb cannot detect them.”

“These dense clouds are the progenitors of future stars and are too young to emit light themselves.”

Webb’s Miri (medium-infrared device) displays the Sagittarius B2 region in medium-red light, revealing bright warm dust. Image credits: NASA/ESA/CSA/STSCI/A. GINSBURG, University of Florida/N. Budaiyev, University of Florida/T. Yu, University of Florida/A. Pagan, STSCI.

With the high resolution and sensitivity of Webb’s Miri (mid-infrared device), this area has been uncovered in remarkable detail, showcasing luminous cosmic dust heated by a massive, young star.

The red area labeled Sagittarius B2 North (located to the right in these Webb images) is among the most molecularly abundant regions known, yet astronomers have never observed it with such clarity before.

The differentiation lies in the longer wavelengths produced, even within the infrared spectrum, and the contrast between images from Webb’s Miri and Nircam (near-infrared camera) makes it evident.

“The luminous gas and dust emerge dramatically in mid-red light, though everything except for the brightest stars vanishes from sight,” the astronomer noted.

“In contrast to Miri, vibrant stars take center stage in Webb’s Nircam images.”

“Further investigations into these stars will yield insights into their masses and ages, aiding astronomers in comprehending the intricacies of star formation within this dense, dynamic galactic core.”

“Has this activity persisted for millions of years? Or has an unknown process triggered it recently?”

“We anticipate that Webb will illuminate the reasons behind the disproportionate star formation centered around galaxies.”

“While there are ample gaseous components in this area, overall productivity is not on par with that of Sagittarius B2.”

“Sagittarius B2 contains only 10% of the galaxy-centric gas but is responsible for 50% of the stars.”

Source: www.sci.news

Junho Observes Unusual Plasma Waves in Jupiter’s Aurora

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Planetary researchers, utilizing data from NASA’s Juno spacecraft, have identified a novel type of plasma wave in the Aurora Zone above Jupiter’s North Pole.

This image merges observations from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope with optical images and ultraviolet observations of Jovian Aurora. Image credit: NASA/ESA.

“While the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has supplied some infrared images of the Aurora, Juno is unique as the first spacecraft to take a polar orbit around Jupiter,” stated Dr. Ali Suleiman from the University of Minnesota.

“The regions surrounding a magnetized planet like Jupiter are filled with plasma, a superheated state where atoms dissociate into electrons and ions.”

“These particles are propelled towards the planet’s atmosphere, causing the gas to illuminate as auroras.”

“On Earth, this phenomenon manifests as the recognizable green and blue lights.”

“However, Jupiter’s auroras are generally not visible to the naked eye and require UV and infrared instruments for observation.”

The research team discovered that the polar plasma density on Jupiter is so low, in combination with its strong magnetic field, that the plasma waves exhibit very low frequencies, unlike those observed around Earth.

“Plasma behaves like a liquid but is influenced by both its own magnetic field and external fields,” remarked Professor Robert Rysack from the University of Minnesota.

“Our study also sheds light on how particles inundate the polar regions, in contrast to Earth, where Jupiter’s intricate magnetic fields give rise to auroras arranged in a donut-like pattern around the poles.”

“As Juno advances its mission to further investigate this new phenomenon, we aim to collect additional data.”

The team’s findings were published in the journal on July 16th, 2025, in Physical Review Letters.

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R. Lysak et al. 2025. A new plasma regime in Jupiter’s Aurora Zone. Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 035201; doi:10.1103/fn63-qmb7

Source: www.sci.news

Hubble Observes Reflection Nebula in the Taurus Molecular Cloud

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Astronomers employing the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have captured an impressive image of the reflective nebula GN 04.32.8.

This Hubble image showcases GN 04.32.8, a reflective nebula located in the constellation Taurus, approximately 480 light years distant. The color composite was formed from images captured in visible and near-infrared light, utilizing data obtained through two filters. Different hues are assigned to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter. Image credits: NASA/ESA/Hubble/G.Duchêne.

GN 04.32.8 is situated around 480 light years from the constellation Taurus.

Also referred to as DG 41, it forms a small segment of the stellar nursery known as the Taurus Molecular Cloud.

“Reflective nebulae are composed of dust clouds in space that do not produce their own light, unlike other types of nebulae,” an expert stated.

“Light from nearby stars illuminates them by scattering off the dust.”

“Due to this scattering effect, many reflective nebulae, including GN 04.32.8, often appear blue.”

GN 04.32.8 is illuminated by a trio of bright stars at the heart of the Hubble image, chiefly the variable star V1025 Tauri.

“One of these stars partially overlaps with the nebula. This is another variable star called HP Tauri, classified among the stars in Tauri, thus resembling other varieties of stars found in the broader molecular complex in Taurus,” the astronomer explained.

“It’s not unusual for T-Tauri stars to inhabit such prolific stellar nursery environments, as they are very dynamic and turbulent in their early evolutionary stages.”

“The three stars are known as HP Tau, HP Tau G2, and HP Tau G3 and are believed to be gravitationally bound, forming a triple system.”

“Observers with keen eyes might spot a small, crushed orange area just outside the center, beneath the nebula, which intersects with dark lines,” the researchers noted.

“This marks a newly formed protostar, concealed within a protoplanetary disk that obscures some of its light.”

“Disks like these are ideal subjects for study because they are oriented edge-on from our viewpoint.”

“We are utilizing Hubble to investigate this phenomenon and to glean insights about the types of exoplanets that could form within such disks.”

Source: www.sci.news

Webb Observes the Sombrero Galaxy in Near-Infrared Light

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With the aid of the NICAM (Near-infrared camera), astronomers aboard the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope have captured new images of the Sombrero Galaxy.

The new Webb/Nircam image reveals the prominent bulge of the Sombrero Galaxy, which consists of a dense cluster of stars at the galaxy’s center, while dust on the outer rim obscures some starlight. Image credits: NASA/ESA/CSA/STSCI.

The Sombrero Galaxy is situated approximately 28 million light years away in the Virgo constellation.

Also referred to as Messier 104, M104, or NGC 4594, this galaxy was discovered by the French astronomer Pierre Méchain on May 11, 1781.

It has a diameter of 49,000 light years, which is nearly twice that of our Milky Way galaxy.

The Sombrero Galaxy displays features typical of both spiral and elliptical galaxies.

It features a spiral arm and a prominently illuminated central bulge that resembles two hybrid forms.

Viewed edge-on, the Sombrero Galaxy sits at a six-degree angle south of its plane, with the dark dust lane creating a striking visual.

“Researching galaxies like the Sombrero through various wavelengths, including near-infrared with Webb, as well as data from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, assists us in understanding the formation and evolution of this intricate system and its constituent materials,” said an astronomer.

“Unlike Hubble’s visible light images, the dust disk is not detectable in Nircam’s new near-infrared imagery.”

“This is because the longer wavelengths of infrared radiation emitted by stars penetrate dust more effectively, resulting in less obstruction of stellar light.”

“In mid-infrared images, the dust actually emits light.”

“Research indicates that the smooth surface and subtle glow of the galaxy hint at a turbulent history,” the astronomer noted.

“Anomalies discovered over the years suggest that this galaxy may have been involved in a violent merger with at least one other galaxy.”

The Sombrero galaxy is home to approximately 2,000 globular clusters, which are dense collections of hundreds of thousands of ancient stars bound together by gravity.

“Spectroscopic analyses reveal unexpected variances among the stars in these globular clusters.”

“Stars that form under similar conditions and from the same materials typically share similar chemical ‘fingerprints,’ such as the same abundance of elements like oxygen or neon.”

“However, the apparent variations among stars in this galaxy’s globular clusters are notably significant.”

“The merging of various galaxies over billions of years can explain these discrepancies.”

“Further evidence supporting the merger hypothesis is seen in the distorted look of the galaxy’s inner disk.”

“While our observations categorize it as edge-on, it actually gives the impression of being at quite an angle,” they added.

“Seen from six degrees off the galaxy’s equator, our viewpoint allows us to glimpse it slightly from above, rather than straight on.”

“From this vantage point, the inner disk appears tilted inward, resembling a funnel rather than a flat plane.”

“Nircam’s advanced resolution reveals parts of the galaxy that look red, indicating the presence of red giants—cooler stars that shine brightly due to their larger surface areas.”

“These red giants are also visible in mid-infrared, but the smaller blue stars in the near-infrared become indistinguishable at longer wavelengths.”

“Additionally, Nircam’s images capture a variety of galaxies in differing shapes and colors scattered across the backdrop of space.”

This color diversity offers astronomers insights into characteristics such as their distances from Earth.

Source: www.sci.news

Hubble Space Telescope Observes Deformed Spiral Galaxy: NGC 1961

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The Hubble team has unveiled a breathtaking new series of images showcasing the majestic Spiral Galaxy NGC 1961, featuring NASA/ESA Hubble’s cosmic insights.

This Hubble image depicts the Spiral Galaxy NGC 1961. Image credits: NASA/ESA/Hubble/J. Dalcanton/RJ Foley, UC Santa Cruz/C. Kilpatrick.

NGC 1961 is located about 190 million light-years away in the constellation Camelopardalis.

This spiral galaxy spans 240,000 light-years, making it the largest member of a small group of ten galaxies.

NGC 1961 was first discovered by German and British astronomer William Herschel on December 3, 1788.

French astronomer Guillaume Bigon observed the galaxy on December 22, 1891, and it was cataloged as IC 2133.

NGC 1961 displays a distinctive perturbation that led to its classification as ARP 184.

“The designation ARP 184 is derived from Halton Arp’s 1966 Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies,” the Hubble astronomers noted.

“The 338 galaxies listed in the Atlas often exhibit unusual shapes, lacking perfect oval or spiral forms.”

“Many of these galaxies are in interaction with others, while some show characteristics of duster galaxies without well-defined structures.”

“ARP 184 earned its spot in the catalog due to its prominent, elongated spiral arm extending towards us,” they elaborated.

“The galaxy’s far side shows clusters of gas and stars but lacks a similarly impressive spiral arm.”

The latest images of NGC 1961 include optical and near-infrared data captured by Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) and Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3).

“This Hubble image merges data from three short observation programs that fit into time gaps between other proposals,” the astronomer explained.

“One of these programs focuses on ARP 184 due to its unique structure.”

“It reviewed galaxies in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies, compiled by Halton Arp and Barry Madore, among others, along with catalogues of singular galaxies in the southern hemisphere.”

The remaining two programs aimed to study transient astronomical events, including supernovae and tidal disruption phenomena.

“Given that ARP 184 has hosted four known supernovae in the past 30 years, it has become a prime target for supernova research.”

Source: www.sci.news

The Hubble Space Telescope Observes NGC 3274

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Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope took an incredible new photo of the Spiral Galaxy NGC 4941.

This Hubble image shows NGC 4941, a spiral galaxy in Virgo’s constellation, about 67 million light years away. The color image consists of near-infrared, optical and ultraviolet observations from Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3). Six filters were used to sample different wavelengths. Colors are attributed to assigning different hue to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter. Image credits: NASA/ESA/Hubble/D. Thilker.

NGC 4941 It is approximately 67 million light years away from Earth, the Virgo constellation.

Also known as AGC 530009, IRAS 13016-0516, Leda 45165, or UGCA 321. 60,000 light years Crossing.

It was discovered on April 24, 1784 by German and British astronomer William Herschel.

NGC 4941 is a member of two galaxy groups, the NGC 4941 group and the NGC 4697 group.

“Because this galaxy is nearby, in cosmic terms, Hubble’s sharp instruments can choose exquisite details such as individual star clusters and filament clouds of gas and dust,” said the Hubble astronomer.

“The Hubble data used to construct this image was collected as part of an observation program that investigates star formation and stellar feedback cycles in nearby galaxies.”

“When stars form in densely cold gas clusters, they start to affect their surroundings.”

“The stars heat and stir the gas clouds created by exploding as supernoves for the wind, starlight, and ultimately the large stars.”

“These processes collectively are called stellar feedback and affect the rate at which galaxies can form new stars.”

“After all, stars aren’t the only entities that provide feedback in NGC 4941,” they added.

“It’s in the heart of this galaxy Active galactic nuclei (AGN) – Look at Gas.

“When a black hole accumulates gas from the surroundings, it swirls into an overheated disk that glows brightly at wavelengths throughout the electromagnetic spectrum.”

“It resembles a star, but on a much larger scale – the active galactic nucleus shapes its surroundings through wind, radiation and powerful jets, changing not only the formation of stars but also the evolution of the entire galaxy.”

Source: www.sci.news

Tesla Observes Decrease in Car Delivery and Unfortunate 4th Quarter Revenue

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After the US stock market closed, Tesla released its fourth-quarter 2024 revenue on Wednesday, showing a decrease in sales for the year but a strong stock price performance.

The automotive company reported earnings of $0.73 per share and a profit of $257 billion, lower than Wall Street analysts’ predictions of $27.222 billion. Profit also declined compared to the previous year.

Tesla’s stock dropped by around 4% after the news.

During the revenue call on Wednesday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced the Tesla Saber Cub, an autonomous driving taxi set to be produced in 2026. The company also mentioned a delay in release and the launch of the Robotaxi business, with plans for an advanced version of the Model Y sedan to be released in March. Tesla is currently under federal investigation for the use of complete autonomous driving functions in the US.

“This is not a fantasy,” Musk stated. “2025 will be a crucial year for Tesla.”

Recently, Tesla became the world’s top electric manufacturer in the last quarter of 2023, regaining its top spot in the first three quarters of 2024. This success was attributed to a sudden price reduction.

In the revenue report, Tesla disclosed 495,570 deliveries in the fourth quarter and 1.8 million for the year, marking its first year-over-year decline after missing delivery targets in 2024.

The reduction of European subsidies for electric vehicles has impacted Tesla, leading to a 24% drop in Tesla vehicle sales. Some Wall Street analysts predict that lower interest rates set by the US Federal Reserve could boost Tesla demand.

Last year, Tesla’s disappointing delivery numbers highlighted delays in new model releases and a lack of demand for older models, like the cyber truck priced at $80,000.

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Facing legal battles over his compensation, Musk had threatened to leave the company but ultimately remained. Tesla’s stock price has soared over the past year and has gained 75% in the last six months, buoyed by Musk’s relationship with US regulators and favorable business environment.

Despite threats of tariffs on various products from China, including cars, Tesla remains optimistic about future growth.

Source: www.theguardian.com

A Giant Star’s Surface Reveals Star Spots, Observes Astronomers

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According to a team of astronomers from the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics at the University of Potsdam, the XX triangular star, a bright K0 giant star in a binary star system located in the constellation Triangulum, exhibits chaotic, aperiodic star point behavior. That’s what it means. and Konkoli Observatory.

XX A star spot on the surface of the constellation Triangulum. Image credits: HUN-REN RCAES / Zs. Kushvari, MOME / Á. Radovani, AIP / K. Strassmeyer.

“Among the things that can be observed from a spatially resolved solar disk are the number, size and morphology of sunspots, their growth and decay, and their movement in latitude and longitude,” said lead author and director of the Leibniz Institute for Astronomy. said Professor Klaus Strassmeyer. Potsdam Astrophysics and Potsdam University, and their colleagues.

“Such spots are also seen on other stars and are called star spots.”

“We use indirect surface imaging techniques to invert the spectral line profile into an image of the stellar surface.”

“Typically we only get occasional snapshots of spots on a star’s surface, but the spots change systematically over time, and like the Sun, only then can we learn about the internal dynamos and structure of the target in question. Well known.”

“We chose the XX triangular star, one of the most speckled stars in the sky, for a more sustained application of Doppler imaging.”

XX triangle It is located about 640 light years away in the constellation Triangulum.

The star, also known as XX Tri or HD 12545, has a mass only 10% more than the Sun, a radius 10 times the Sun’s radius, and an effective temperature of 4630 K.

It has a rotation period of 24 days, which is synchronized with the orbital period of the binary star system.

XX Trigonum has previously been shown to contain a gigantic star spot with physical dimensions equivalent to 10,000 times the area of the largest group of spots ever seen on the Sun, and 10 times the size of the projected solar disk. It had been discovered in

Professor Strassmeier and his co-authors took 99 separate images of the star using an indirect surface imaging technique called Doppler imaging.

“A dark spot on the star’s surface caused its optical center (a point that essentially represents the star’s ‘center of light’) to shift by up to 24 microarcseconds, which is less than the radius of the star’s visible disk. This corresponds to approximately 10%,” they said. Said.

“These changes occur because the dark spots reduce the brightness of certain areas of the star, shifting the perceived center of light slightly.”

“However, unlike the sun’s predictable activity cycles, the displacements of these photocenters did not follow a periodic pattern. This is a largely chaotic and probably aperiodic pattern, very different from the solar dynamo. This suggests that it is a dynamo.”

“This phenomenon also highlights challenges in detecting exoplanets, as spot-induced fluctuations in the optical center can mimic or mask small movements caused by orbiting planets, which could impose substantial limitations on the detection of such exoplanets by astronomical observations.”

of findings appear in the diary nature communications.

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KG Strassmeyer others. 2024. XX Long-term Doppler images of triangular stars show chaotic aperiodic dynamos. Nat Commune 15, 9986; doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-54329-4

Source: www.sci.news

Trump Observes SpaceX Starship Launch in Texas

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President-elect Donald Trump, who once criticized Elon Musk’s SpaceX for launching “rocket ships to nowhere,” visited the Texas coast on Tuesday to witness the latest tests of the massive Starship rocket. SpaceX received a warm welcome.

Trump, sporting a red MAGA hat, observed the launch from under a tent alongside Musk as the large rocket soared into the sky near Brownsville. The rocket is a crucial component of Musk’s plan to establish a colony on Mars.

This appearance further illustrates Trump’s evolving relationship with Musk, one of the wealthiest individuals globally. Musk has been serving as a general advisor to Trump following his assistance in securing a second term in the White House two weeks prior.

President Trump has expressed his support for the Mars exploration initiative. He announced his visit via X, a social media platform owned by Musk.

“I’m traveling to Texas to witness the launch of the largest object ever lifted from the ground, not just to reach space. @ElonMusk and all the amazing patriots who contributed to this incredible project, good luck!” he stated.

The event was attended by several guests, including Donald Trump Jr., Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Linda McMahon, a former professional wrestling executive supporting Trump’s transition. During the event, Musk enthusiastically conversed with Trump, while Trump observed the rocket launch mostly stoically. The rocket lifted off around 5 p.m. ET, and the booster seemed to land safely in the Gulf of Mexico shortly afterward.

Following the launch, Musk guided Trump on a tour of his nearby office, and Trump interacted with guests outside. They did not address the public immediately as the Starship’s upper stage continued on its trajectory towards the Indian Ocean.

Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, stated on X that Trump expressed his honor in attending the event.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Webb Observes Four Views of a Gravitationally Lensed Quasar

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The quasar, called RX J1131-1231, lies about 6 billion light-years away in the constellation Crater.

This Webb image shows the galaxy RX J1131-1231 distorted by gravitational lensing into a dark ring. At the top of the ring are three very bright spots next to each other, emitting diffraction spikes. These are copies of a single quasar in the lensed galaxy, duplicated by gravitational lensing. In the center of the ring, the lensing elliptical galaxy appears as a small blue spot. Image credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / Webb / A. Nierenberg.

RXJ1131-1231 The galaxy is thought to be one of the best lensed quasars ever discovered, as the foreground lensing effect blurs the image of the background quasar into a bright arc, creating four celestial images.

“Gravitational lensing effect“This phenomenon, first predicted by Albert Einstein, acts as a natural telescope, magnifying the light from these sources and providing a rare opportunity to study the regions close to the black holes in distant quasars,” astronomer Webb said.

“All matter in the universe distorts the space around it, and the more mass there is, the more pronounced this effect.”

“Around very massive objects like galaxies, light passing nearby travels through this distorted space, appearing to bend visibly from its original path.”

“One of the inevitable effects of gravitational lensing is the magnification of distant objects, allowing astronomers to study objects that would otherwise be too faint or too far away.”

“Measuring the X-ray emission from a quasar can provide an indication of how fast the central black hole is rotating, which could give researchers important clues about how black holes grow over time,” the researchers added.

“For example, if black holes grow primarily through collisions and mergers between galaxies, then the accumulation of material in a stable disk and the steady supply of new material from the disk should cause the black hole to rotate rapidly.”

“On the other hand, if a black hole grows through many small accretion episodes, then material will accumulate from random directions.”

“Observations show that the black hole in RX J1131-1231 is rotating at more than half the speed of light, suggesting that the black hole grew by merging rather than by attracting matter from different directions.”

New images of RX J1131-1231 can be found at Webb's MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) As part of an observational program to study dark matter.

“Dark matter is an invisible substance that makes up most of the mass of the universe,” the researchers said.

“Webb's quasar observations allow us to probe the nature of dark matter on smaller scales than ever before.”

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This article is a version of a press release provided by NASA.

Source: www.sci.news

Hubble directly observes a barred spiral galaxy from a head-on perspective

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This new image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows the barred spiral galaxy NGC 3059 in the constellation Carina.

This Hubble Space Telescope image shows NGC 3059, a barred spiral galaxy about 57 million light-years away in the constellation Carina. Image courtesy of NASA / ESA / Hubble / D. Thilker.

NGC 3059 It is located in the constellation Carina, about 57 million light years away.

Also known as ESO 37-7, IRAS 09496-7341, and LEDA 28298, the galaxy has a diameter of 55,000 light years.

it was discovered It was discovered on February 22, 1835 by British astronomer John Herschel.

This new image of NGC 3059 shows Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) is present in the ultraviolet, near infrared, and visible light portions of the spectrum.

Six filters were used to sample different wavelengths, and color was generated by assigning a different hue to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter.

“The data used to create this image was collected by Hubble in May 2024 as part of an observing program studying a large number of galaxies,” Hubble astronomers explained.

“All observations were made using the same range of filters – partially transparent materials that only let certain wavelengths of light through.”

“Filters are widely used in observational astronomy and can be adjusted to let through a very narrow range of light, or a somewhat broader range of light.”

“Narrowband filters are invaluable from a scientific perspective because specific wavelengths of light are associated with specific physical and chemical processes.”

“For example, under certain conditions, hydrogen atoms are known to emit red light with a wavelength of 656.46 nm.”

“Red light of this wavelength H-alpha radiationor “H-alpha radiation.”

“Their presence is extremely useful to astronomers as they serve as indicators of certain physical processes and conditions. For example, they are often a telltale sign that a new star is forming.”

“Thus, narrow-band filters tuned to pass H-alpha radiation can be used to identify regions of the universe where stars are forming.”

For this image of NGC 3059, a narrowband filter called the F657N or H-alpha filter was used.

“F stands for filter and N stands for narrow,” the astronomers said.

“The numbers represent the peak wavelength that the filter passes. 657 is very close to the wavelength of the 656.46 H-alpha line.”

“Data collected using five other filters also contributed to the image, and they are all broadband filters, meaning they let through a wider range of wavelengths of light.”

“This isn't very useful for identifying very specific lines (such as H-alpha), but it still allows us to explore relatively unusual parts of the electromagnetic spectrum.”

“And by integrating the information from multiple filters, we're able to create beautiful images like this.”

Source: www.sci.news

Hubble Observes Large Globular Cluster in Large Magellanic Cloud

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Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have captured detailed images of the globular star cluster NGC 1651 in the constellation Mensa.

This Hubble image shows the globular cluster NGC 1651 about 162,000 light-years away in the constellation Mensa. Image credits: NASA / ESA / Hubble / L. Girardi / F. Niederhofer.

Globular clusters are densely packed spherical clusters of hundreds of thousands or even millions of stars.

They are among the oldest known objects in the universe and are preferentially associated with the oldest components of galaxies.

There are at least 150 such objects in our Milky Way, and several more may be hidden behind the galaxy's thick disk.

NGC1651 is part of the Large Magellanic Cloud, the largest and brightest of the Milky Way's satellite galaxies.

beginning discovered Discovered by British astronomer John Herschel on November 3, 1834, this globular cluster is located approximately 162,000 light-years away in the constellation Mensa.

NGC 1651, also known as ESO 55-30 or LW 12, has a diameter of 120 light years.

“A remarkable feature of this image is that NGC 1651 nearly fills the entire image, even though the globular cluster is only about 10 to 300 light-years in diameter,” Hubble astronomers said. Masu.

“In contrast, there are many Hubble images that feature entire galaxies, tens or even hundreds of millions of light-years in diameter, that more or less fill the entire image.”

Color images of NGC 1651 consist of observations from. Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 Found in the near-infrared and optical portions of the spectrum.

“A common misconception is that Hubble and other large telescopes can observe objects of vastly different sizes by zooming in, much like we would with special cameras on Earth,” the astronomers said. Ta.

“However, while smaller telescopes may have the option to zoom in and out to some extent, larger telescopes do not.”

“Each telescope instrument has a fixed 'field of view' (the size of the area of the sky that can be observed in a single observation).”

“For example, WFC3's ultraviolet/visible light channel, the channel and instrument used to collect the data used in this image, has a field of view that is approximately one-twelfth the diameter of the moon as seen from Earth. Masu.”

“Every time WFC3 makes an observation, it becomes the size of the region of sky it can observe.”

“There are two reasons why Hubble is able to observe objects with such widely different sizes,” the researchers said.

“First, the distance to an object determines how big that object appears from Earth, so an entire galaxy that is relatively far away is compared to a relatively nearby globular cluster like NGC 1651. could take up the same amount of space as the sky.''

“In fact, a distant spiral galaxy lurks just to the left of the cluster in this image. It's undoubtedly much larger than the cluster, but here it appears small enough to blend in with the foreground stars.”

“Second, multiple images across different parts of the sky can be mosaicked to create a single image of an object too large for Hubble's field of view.”

Source: www.sci.news

The Hubble Space Telescope observes a small spiral galaxy from an edge-on perspective

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NASA has released a beautiful photo of spiral galaxy NGC 4423 taken by the Hubble Space Telescope.

This Hubble image shows spiral galaxy NGC 4423 about 55 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / M. Sun.

NGC4423 It is located in the constellation Virgo, about 55 million light years away.

Also known as IRAS 12246+0609, LEDA 40801, or VCC 971, this spiral galaxy is approximately 35,000 light-years in diameter.

beginning spotted Discovered on April 13, 1784 by German-born British astronomer William Herschel, NGC 4423 is a member of the Virgo cluster.

“In the new image, NGC 4423 appears to have a highly irregular, tubular shape, so it may be surprising to learn that it is actually a spiral galaxy,” Hubble astronomers said in a statement.

“Knowing this, we can distinguish between the galaxy's denser central bulge and the less dense surrounding disk, which makes up the spiral arms.”

“If you looked at NGC 4423 head-on, it would resemble the shape we most associate with spiral galaxies: a spectacular curve spreading out from a bright center and interspersed with darker, dimmer, less populated regions. This is the arm you are drawing.”

“However, when observing the sky, we are constrained by the relative position of the earth and the object we are observing. We cannot simply change the position of the earth to get a better view of NGC 4423 head-on. .”

“Of course, celestial bodies are not stationary in space; they often move at very high speeds relative to each other.”

“This may suggest that even if the galaxy is moving in a coincidental direction relative to Earth, if you travel far enough you may be able to see it from a substantially different perspective. I don’t know.”

“While this is theoretically possible, in reality the distances in the universe are too long and human lifespans are too short for significant differences in relative alignment to occur.”

“In other words, this is more or less the view of NGC 4423 that we will always have.”

New images of NGC 4423 consist of observations from. Hubble's advanced survey camera (ACS) in the near-infrared and optical portions of the spectrum.

This is based on data obtained through two filters. Color is obtained by assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter.

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ALMA observes water vapor in young star’s protoplanetary disk

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Water molecules are key components in the formation of planetary systems. Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) have detected water vapor in the disk around the young star HL Taurus, where planets may be forming. Their analysis suggests that the hard lower limit for water vapor availability within the interior 17 astronomical units of the Taurus HL system is 3.7 Earth Oceans.

This ALMA image shows water vapor (blue tints) in the protoplanetary disk around HL Taurus. Near the center of the disk, where young stars live, the environment is hotter and the gas brighter. The red ring is a previous ALMA observation showing the distribution of dust around the star.Image credits: ALMA / ESO / National Astronomical Observatory of Japan / NRAO / Facchini other.

Water molecules are undoubtedly one of the most important molecular species in the entire universe.

Water is a highly efficient solvent, so it played a key role in the emergence of life as we know it on Earth.

For this reason, chemical characterization of exoplanetary atmospheres often focuses on detecting this specific molecule.

Water, formed from common hydrogen and oxygen atoms, is so abundant in both gas and ice form that it plays a fundamental role in the physics of planetary system formation.

Dr Stefano Facchini, an astronomer at the University of Milan, said: “We never imagined that we would be able to image oceans of water vapor in areas where planets are likely to form.”

The HL Taurus system is believed to be less than 100,000 years old and has a radius of about 17.9 billion km. It is located 450 light years away in the direction of the constellation Taurus.

The protoplanetary disk of HL Taurus is unusually large and bright, making it a perfect place to look for signs of planet formation.

New ALMA observations reveal that there is at least three times more water inside the disk than in Earth's entire ocean.

Dr Leonardo Testi, an astronomer at the University of Bologna, said: “It is truly amazing that we can not only detect water vapor 450 light-years from us, but also obtain detailed images and spatially resolve it.” said.

Spatially resolved observations with ALMA allow astronomers to determine the distribution of water in different regions of the disk.

“Participating in such an important discovery of the iconic HL Taurus disk was beyond my expectations given my first research experience in astronomy,'' said Dr. Mathieu Vander Donk, an astronomer at the University of Liege. he said.

Dr Facchini said: “Our recent images reveal that significant amounts of water vapor are present at distances from the star that include gaps where planets may now be forming.” said.

“This suggests that this water vapor could influence the chemical composition of planets that form in those regions.”

“To date, ALMA is the only facility capable of spatially resolving water in cold planet-forming disks,” said Professor Wouter Bremings, an astronomer at Chalmers University of Technology.

ESO astronomer Dr Elizabeth Humphreys said: “It's really exciting to be able to witness first-hand in photographs the ejection of water molecules from icy dust particles.”

“The dust particles that make up the disk are the seeds for planet formation, colliding and clumping together to form even larger bodies orbiting the star.”

“Our findings show how the presence of water influences the development of planetary systems, similar to our own solar system about 4.5 billion years ago,” Dr. Facchini said.

of findings It was published in the magazine natural astronomy.

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S. Facchini other. HL Resolved ALMA observations of water in the inner astronomical unit of the Tau disk. Nat Astron, published online on February 29, 2024. doi: 10.1038/s41550-024-02207-w

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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

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 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

Webb observes auroras on cold brown dwarf star

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Using NASA/ESA/CSA’s James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers detected a brown dwarf with infrared emissions from methane, likely due to energy in the upper atmosphere. The heating of the upper atmosphere that drives this emission is associated with auroras. The brown dwarf, named W1935, is located 47 light-years away.

Artist’s impression of the brown dwarf W1935. Image credit: NASA/ESA/CSA/L. Hustak, STScI.

On Earth, auroras occur when energetic particles blasted into space from the sun are captured by Earth’s magnetic field.

They cascade into the atmosphere along magnetic field lines near the Earth’s poles, colliding with gas molecules and creating eerie, dancing curtains of light.

Jupiter and Saturn have similar auroral processes that involve interaction with the solar wind, but also receive auroral contributions from nearby active moons, such as Io (for Jupiter) and Enceladus (for Saturn). Masu.

“For an isolated brown dwarf like W1935, the absence of a stellar wind that contributes to auroral processes and accounts for the extra energy in the upper atmosphere required for methane emission is puzzling,” American Airlines astronomers said. said Dr. Jackie Faherty. Natural History Museum and colleagues.

Faherty and his colleagues used Webb to observe a sample of 12 cool brown dwarf stars.

These included object W1935, discovered by citizen scientist Dan Caselden who collaborated on the Backyard Worlds Zooniverse project, and object W2220, discovered using NASA’s Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer.

Webb revealed in great detail that W1935 and W2220 appear to be close clones of each other in composition.

Also, the brightness, temperature, and spectral characteristics of water, ammonia, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide were similar.

A notable exception is that W1935 showed emission from methane, in contrast to the expected absorption feature observed for W2220. This was observed at infrared wavelengths, to which Webb is uniquely sensitive.

“We expected methane to be present because it’s everywhere in these brown dwarfs,” Faherty said.

“But instead of absorbing light, we found just the opposite. The methane was glowing. My first thought was, what the hell? Why is this object emitting methane?” Do you want it?

Astronomers used computer models to deduce what might be behind the emission.

Modeling work showed that W2220 has a predictable energy distribution in its atmosphere, becoming colder with increasing altitude.

On the other hand, W1935 produced surprising results. The best models supported a temperature inversion, where the atmosphere becomes warmer as altitude increases.

“This temperature inversion is really puzzling,” says Dr. Ben Burningham, an astronomer at the University of Hertfordshire.

“We’ve seen this kind of phenomenon on planets with nearby stars that can heat the stratosphere, but it’s outrageous to see something like this on a celestial body with no obvious external heat source. .

In search of clues, researchers looked to our backyard: the planets of our solar system.

The gas giant planet could serve as a proxy for what is seen happening 47 light-years away in the atmosphere of 1935 AD.

Scientists have noticed that planets like Jupiter and Saturn have significant temperature inversions.

Research is still ongoing to understand the causes of stratospheric heating, but leading theories about the solar system include external heating by auroras and internal energy transport from deep in the atmosphere, with the former being the leading explanation. ).

According to the research team, W1935 is the first aurora candidate outside the solar system with the signature of methane emission.

It is also the coldest aurora candidate outside the solar system, with an effective temperature of about 200 degrees Celsius (400 degrees Fahrenheit).

In our solar system, the solar wind is the main contributor to the auroral process, and active satellites like Io and Enceladus play the role of planets like Jupiter and Saturn, respectively.

W1935 does not have any companion stars, so stellar winds cannot contribute to this phenomenon. It is not yet known whether an active moon is responsible for her W1935's methane emissions.

“W1935 provides a spectacular expansion of solar system phenomena without any explanatory stellar illumination,” Faherty said.

“With Webb, we can actually ‘lift the lid’ on chemistry and figure out how auroral processes are similar or different outside of our solar system.”

The authors announced that findings this week’s AAS243243rd Meeting of the American Astronomical Society, New Orleans, USA.

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Jacqueline Faherty other. 2024. JWST exhibits the auroral features of frigid brown dwarfs. AAS243Abstract #4359

Source: www.sci.news