The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope took this photo of barred spiral galaxy NGC 337.
This Hubble image shows NGC 337, a barred spiral galaxy about 60 million light-years away in the constellation Cetus. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / C. Kilpatrick.
NGC337 It is located in the constellation Cetus, approximately 60 million light-years from Earth.
Also known as LEDA 3572 or IRAS 00573-0750, this barred spiral galaxy is 60,400 light years in diameter.
it was discovered It was discovered on September 10, 1785 by German-British astronomer William Herschel.
NGC 337 is the largest and brightest member of the NGC 337 Group (also known as LGG 15), a small group that includes at least three other galaxies.
The new images of the galaxy were created from separate exposures taken in the visible and near-infrared regions of the spectrum. Hubble’s advanced survey camera (ACS).
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 combines observations made at two wavelengths and highlights the galaxy’s golden center and blue surround,” Hubble astronomers said in a statement.
“The golden glow in the center comes from the older star, and the glowing blue edge gets its color from the young star.”
“If Hubble had observed NGC 337 about a decade ago, the telescope would have spotted something remarkable among the hot blue stars along the edge of the galaxy: a brilliant supernova,” they added. Ta.
“Labeled SN2014cxthis supernova is notable in that it was discovered almost simultaneously by two very different methods: the prolific supernova hunter Koichi Itagaki and the All-Sky Automated Supernova Surveyor (ASAS-SN). ”
“ASAS-SN is a worldwide network of robotic telescopes that scan the sky for sudden events such as supernovae.”
“The Type II classification means that the star that exploded was a supergiant with a mass at least eight times that of the Sun,” the researchers said.
“The ‘P’ stands for plateau, meaning that after the light from the supernova began to dim, the level reached a plateau and remained the same brightness for weeks or months before fading further. .”
“This type of supernova occurs when a massive star can no longer generate enough energy at its core to avoid the crushing pressure of gravity.”
“The progenitor star of SN 2014cx is estimated to have been 10 times more massive and hundreds of times wider than the Sun.”
Although it has long since dimmed from its early brightness, astronomers are still monitoring the remains of SN 2014cx.
Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have taken striking new photos of barred spiral galaxy NGC 2566.
The barred spiral galaxy NGC 2566 has a prominent star bar at its center, with spiral arms emerging from each end of the bar. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / D. Tilker.
NGC2566 It is located in the constellation Leo, about 76 million light years away from Earth.
The galaxy was discovered by German-British astronomer William Herschel on March 6, 1785.
Also known as ESO 495-3, LEDA 23303, or UGCA 138, this galaxy is a member of the PGC 80593 group of at least 16 large galaxies.
“NGC 2566 appears tilted from our perspective, so its disk is almond-shaped, giving the galaxy the appearance of a cosmic eye,” Hubble astronomers said in a statement.
“As NGC 2566 stares back at us, we’ll be looking directly behind it, using Hubble to study the galaxy’s star clusters and star-forming regions.”
“Hubble data is especially valuable for studying stars that are only a few million years old.”
“These stars are bright in the ultraviolet and visible wavelengths to which Hubble is sensitive.”
Using these data, astronomers will measure the ages of NGC 2566’s stars, helping them piece together the timeline of star formation in the galaxy and gas exchange between the star-forming clouds and the stars themselves.
“Several other observatories have investigated NGC 2566, including NASA/ESA/CSA’s James Webb Space Telescope,” the researchers said.
“Webb’s data complement this Hubble image, adding a view of NGC 2566’s warm, glowing dust to Hubble’s stellar portrait.”
“NGC 2566, at the long wavelength end of the electromagnetic spectrum, has also been observed by the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA).”
“ALMA is a network of 66 radio telescopes working together to capture detailed images of the gas clouds where stars form.”
The sun’s upper atmosphere, or corona, seen in ultraviolet light
ESA & NASA/Solar Probe/EUI Team
These fiery images are the clearest views of the Sun ever seen by the Solar Orbiter spacecraft.
solar orbitera joint mission between the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA, is a state-of-the-art instrument that orbits the sun and has been sending information back to Earth since it arrived in 2020.
These images were taken in March 2023, when Solar Orbiter was less than 74 million kilometers from the sun. The photo above was taken using ultraviolet light and reveals the sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona, in great detail, showing billowing million-degree plasma exploding along the sun’s magnetic field lines. There is. Normally, bright light from the sun’s surface hides the corona. Therefore, the corona can only be seen when observing it by blocking visible light or using ultraviolet light, which typically occurs during solar eclipses.
To create this complete image of the sun’s corona, many smaller zoomed-in images had to be stitched together, resulting in this complete mosaic of 8000 pixels. In the future, Solar Orbiter will be able to obtain two such high-resolution photos of the Sun each year, according to ESA.
Visible Sun imaged by the Solar Orbiter spacecraft’s polarization measurements and solar seismic imager
ESA & NASA/Solar Probe/PHI Team
This second image shows what the sun’s surface, or photosphere, looks like when viewed from Solar Orbiter in visible light, the same light that our eyes can see . The temperature of this layer of the sun is approximately 4500-6000°C. The dark areas here are sunspots, which are cooler and emit less light than the surrounding areas.
Map of the Sun’s magnetic field measured by the Solar Orbiter spacecraft’s polarization measurements and solar seismic imager.
ESA & NASA/Solar Probe/PHI Team
Observations using the spacecraft’s magnetic instruments show that the Sun’s magnetic field is concentrated around the sunspot region (see image above). The field directs charged particles away from these areas, cooling them and giving them a dark appearance.
Velocity map, or tachogram, showing the speed and direction of movement of matter on the visible surface of the Sun
ESA & NASA/Solar Probe/PHI Team
Solar Orbiter can also track the speed and direction of plasma as it moves across the Sun’s surface. In this velocity map (above), called a tachogram, blue represents movement toward the spacecraft and red represents movement away from the spacecraft. It shows that it diverges in its surroundings.
This collection of images helps scientists understand the behavior of the sun’s corona and photosphere. Solar Orbiter will also image never-before-seen images of the Sun’s poles at the top and bottom of the star. Currently, not much is known about the solar poles, and researchers expect these regions to look significantly different from the rest of the sun.
When it comes to meteor showers, the Leonids are known as one of the best. Famous for its fast and bright fireball meteors, the Leonid meteor shower aims to put on an impressive show.
And in unusual circumstances, the shower can turn into a full-fledged storm, and thousands of meteors can pass in front of you in an hour. Although it is not expected to reach storm-level conditions this year, it is still a sight to behold. Additionally, the Leonid meteor shower can be seen with the naked eye, so anyone can observe it without the need for binoculars or a telescope.
So when should you look up to the sky? And what should you expect from this year’s Leonid meteor shower? We’ve got all the important information below.
When is the Leonid meteor shower?
The 2024 Leonid meteor shower will reach its peak on the night of November 17-18. During this period, 10 to 15 meteors are expected to cross the night sky per hour.
Shooting star activity is expected to peak during this period, but meteors from the Leonid meteor shower are expected to be visible until November 30th.
For the best viewing, you need to find a spot with dark skies and good visibility. It also helps avoid light pollution in big cities and towns. Light from the last supermoon of the year, November’s Beaver Moon, which peaks on Nov. 15, could obstruct visibility.
Where should you look to see the Leonid meteor shower?
Pinpointing the source of the shower will give you better visibility. The Leonid meteor shower’s name comes from its constellation, Leo, where it is believed to have originated. More specifically, the Leonid meteor shower originates from a star pattern called the Sickle within the constellation Leonid.
To find the sickle, first find Ursa Major’s plow. This is a distinctive signpost to many astronomical spots (we have a complete guide on how to find it).
Look to the edge of the pot in “The Plow” to find two bright stars: Dubhe and Merek. If you draw an imaginary line between the two, going in the opposite direction, it will point in the direction of Polaris, Polaris, and the Sickle of Leo.
You don’t need to worry too much about tracking this exact location. Meteors cover most of the sky, so your best bet is to see as much of the sky as possible.
The best way to see as much of the sky as possible is to lie on your back and look up, but it’s November and nighttime temperatures in places like the UK can be below freezing, so it’s best to dress warmly or bring warm clothing. Please wear it. Find a comfortable place to cover yourself with a blanket or sleeping bag. Be patient and stay a while to let your eyes adjust to the darkness and have the best chance of catching the Leonid meteor shower.
Where did the Leonid meteor shower come from?
Meteor showers occur when the Earth, in its orbit around the sun, passes through regions of space filled with debris left behind by comets and asteroids.
In this case, the culprit is Comet Tempel-Tuttle. It is a relatively small comet that was discovered twice in separate events. It was first created by Ernst Tempel in 1865 and then by Horace Tuttle in 1866.
How many Leonid meteors can we see?
The exact number of meteors is difficult to determine. The number changes each year, but the average number of meteors is about 15 per hour. In some years, this value can be even higher, especially if there is a meteor storm.
Approximately every 33 years, a shower turns into a storm. This classification is reached when more than 1,000 meteors occur per hour. Back in 1966, viewers experienced the unique Leonids meteor shower, where thousands of meteors appeared in just 15 minutes.
The last Leonid storm occurred in 2002, so a storm in 2024 is unlikely.
These fireballs have long trails that are blue and greenish. Meteors can be missed, but they leave a long vapor train in the sky that looks like a smoke ring for several minutes.
The Leonid meteor shower is also fast, traveling at 44 miles per second (71 kilometers per second). These are considered some of the fastest meteors we can see.
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope took this photo of barred spiral galaxy NGC 1672, visible from the southern hemisphere.
This Hubble image shows NGC 1672, a barred spiral galaxy about 49 million light-years away in the constellation Sera. Color images were created from separate exposures taken in the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared regions of the spectrum using Hubble’s Advanced Survey Camera (ACS) and Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3). Six 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: ESA / Hubble / NASA / O. Fox / L. Jenkins / S. Van Dijk / A. Filipenko / J. Li / PHANGS-HST Team / D. De Martin / M. Zamani.
NGC1672 is located approximately 49 million light-years away in the constellation Sera.
This galaxy, also known as ESO 118-43, IRAS 04449-5920, LEDA 15941, or VV 826, has a diameter of 75,000 light years.
it was discovered It was proposed by Scottish astronomer James Dunlop on November 5, 1826.
NGC 1672 is a typical barred spiral galaxy, which differs from normal spiral galaxies in that its spiral arms do not twist all the way to the center.
Instead, they are attached to each end of the star’s straight rod that surrounds the core.
NGC 1672 is visible almost head-on and shows regions of intense star formation.
The highest concentrations of star-forming regions are near the edges of galaxies’ strong galactic bars.
NGC 1672 is Seyfert Galaxyis named after astronomer Carl Keenan Seifert, who extensively studied galaxies containing active nuclei in the 1940s. The energy output of these nuclei can exceed that of the host galaxy.
Active galaxies also include the exotically named quasars and blazars.
Each type has unique characteristics, and they are all thought to be powered by the same engine – a supermassive black hole – but seen from different angles.
“NGC 1672 is a versatile light show that showcases the impressive lights of a variety of celestial objects,” Hubble astronomers said in a statement.
“Like other spiral galaxies, its disk is filled with billions of bright stars, giving it a beautiful glow.”
“Along its two large arms, bubbles of hydrogen gas glow with a striking red light due to the powerful radiation of newly formed stars within.”
“There are some particularly spectacular stars near the center: newly formed, extremely hot stars that are embedded in a ring of hot gas and emit powerful X-rays,” the researchers said. added.
“And at its center lies an even brighter X-ray source, an active galactic nucleus produced by the heated accretion disk around NGC 1672’s supermassive black hole. This makes NGC 1672 a Seyfert galaxy. Masu.”
“But the highlight of the new photos is the most fleeting and ephemeral of these lights: supernovae. SN2017 GaxIt appears in only one of the six Hubble images that make up this composite image. ”
“this is Type I supernova Caused by the collapse of a core and the subsequent explosion of a giant star, it goes from invisible to new light in the sky in just a few days. ”
“In images taken later that year, the supernova was already fading, so it’s only visible here as a small green dot just below the bend of the spiral arm on the right.”
“In fact, this was intentional. We wanted to look for companion stars that the supernova progenitor might have had, something that would be impossible to find outside of a living supernova.”
NASA has released a beautiful composite image of two overlapping spiral galaxy pairs, IC 2163 and NGC 2207, taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope.
This composite image shows the galaxies IC 2163 (left) and NGC 2207 (right). Image credit: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI.
of IC 2163-NGC 2207 pair It is located about 114 million light years from us in the direction of the constellation Canis Major.
The large and massive galaxy is registered as NGC 2207, and the smaller galaxy is registered as IC 2163.
Strong tidal forces from the former distorted the shape of the latter, blowing stars and gas into long streams stretching 100,000 light years.
IC 2163 made its closest approach 40 million years ago, passing NGC 2207 in a counterclockwise direction.
However, IC 2163 does not have enough energy to escape NGC 2207's gravity and is doomed to be pulled back again in the future, passing by the larger galaxy.
“The pair's eerie colors represent a combination of mid-infrared light from the web and visible and ultraviolet light from Hubble,” NASA astronomers said.
“Look for potential evidence of their light scrapes on impact surfaces where material from galaxies may have collided.”
“These lines, rendered in bright red, including the eyelids, may be responsible for the appearance of the galaxy's bulging, vein-like arms.”
“The galaxy's first passage may also have distorted its delicately curved arms and elicited tidal extensions in some places.”
“The small diffused spiral arm between IC 2163's core and its leftmost arm may be an example of this activity.”
“More tendrils appear to be hanging between the galactic cores.”
“Another extension drifts off the top of the larger galaxy, forming a thin translucent arm that essentially extends out of the picture.”
These images show two overlapping spiral galaxies, IC 2163 and NGC 2207. On the left is Hubble's ultraviolet and visible light observations, and on the right is Webb's mid-infrared observations. Image credit: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI.
IC 2163 and NGC 2207 form stars at such high rates that they appear to have millions of individual hearts flapping across their arms.
These galaxies produce the equivalent of 20 solar-mass stars of new solar-mass stars every year.
“Our Milky Way galaxy only forms two to three new Sun-like stars a year,” the astronomers said.
“Both galaxies have experienced seven known supernovae in recent decades, compared to the Milky Way's average of once every 50 years.”
“Each supernova may have removed space within the arms, rearranging gas and dust that later cooled, allowing many new stars to form.”
“To identify sequences of star-forming activity, look for the bright blue regions seen by Hubble in ultraviolet light and the pink and white regions detailed primarily by Webb's mid-infrared data.” the researchers said.
“Stars in larger regions are known as superclusters.”
“Look for examples of these in the top spiral arms that wrap around larger galaxies and point to the left.”
“Other bright regions of the galaxy are ministarbursts, where many stars form in quick succession.”
“In addition, the upper and lower 'eyelids' of IC 2163, the small galaxy on the left, are filled with newer star formation and are burning brighter.”
Astronomers have used the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope to capture striking new photos of LEDA 12535, a barred spiral galaxy located in the famous Perseus Cluster of galaxies.
This Hubble Space Telescope image shows LEDA 12535, a barred spiral galaxy about 320 million light-years away in the constellation Perseus. The color composite was created from images taken with the Hubble Space Telescope's Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) in ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared light. It is based on data obtained through three filters. The colors are obtained by assigning a different hue to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / I. Chilingarian.
LEDA12535 It is located about 320 million light years away in the constellation Perseus.
Also known as MCG+07-07-072 or SDSS J032041.39+424814.8, it is classified as a barred spiral galaxy.
“LEDA 12535 has a highly unusual shape for a spiral galaxy, with thin arms extending from the ends of its barred nucleus and tracing a nearly circular path around the disk,” the Hubble astronomers said.
“Using a common extension of Hubble's basis system, it is classified as an SBc(r) galaxy. The c indicates that the two spiral arms are loosely wound, each completing only a half revolution around the galaxy, and the (r) refers to the ring-like structure they produce.”
“Galactic rings come in a variety of shapes, from merely unusual to rare and astrophysically important.”
“Lenticular galaxies are a type of galaxy that lies intermediate between elliptical and spiral galaxies,” the astronomers added.
“Unlike elliptical galaxies, they feature large disks but lack spiral arms.”
“Lenticular means lens-shaped, and these galaxies often feature a ring-like shape in their disks.”
“The classification of ring galaxies, on the other hand, is only applied to unusual galaxies with a round ring of gas and star formation that closely resembles spiral arms but is either completely detached from the galactic core or lacks a visible core at all.”
“They are thought to have formed from the collision of galaxies.”
“Finally, there is the famous gravitational lensing, where the ring is actually a distorted image of a distant background galaxy, formed by the 'lensing' galaxy bending the light around it.”
“The ring-shaped images, called Einstein rings, can only form if the lensed galaxy and the photographed galaxy are perfectly aligned.”
The Perseid meteor shower, one of the most stunning meteor showers in 2024, is currently in full swing and offering a breathtaking display of fast, bright shooting stars streaking across the night sky.
As we move closer to the middle of August, the excitement is set to increase. During the peak of the shower, if conditions are favorable, you could witness up to 100 meteors per hour, some of which might even turn into fiery fireballs.
Unlike other meteor showers this year, the moonlight is not expected to overshadow this magnificent event. Although the waxing crescent moon will be visible as we near the peak, it will have set below the horizon by the time meteor activity intensifies.
For a comprehensive list of meteor showers throughout the year, check out our meteor shower calendar. If you’re interested in astrophotography but unsure where to begin, expert Pete Lawrence has put together a beginner’s guide on capturing amazing photos of the moon.
When is the Perseid meteor shower in 2024?
The Perseid meteor shower will commence on July 17, 2024, and extend until around August 24. The optimal viewing time for the meteors is from midnight until dawn.
The peak of the meteor shower is expected on August 12, with increased meteor activity around this period. Since the peak occurs during the daytime, the best times to observe the Perseids are before and after the peak, specifically on the nights of August 11/12 and August 12/13.
You’ll have the best visibility between midnight and just before sunrise (around 5:30 am in the UK, 6 am in New York, and Los Angeles).
How many meteors can you see?
The Perseids are known for being one of the most active meteor showers of the year, but it doesn’t mean there will be a constant stream of meteors to observe. Most images capturing numerous meteors are the result of long exposure shots that can capture dozens, or even hundreds, of meteors in a single frame.
Under ideal conditions and dark skies, you could potentially see up to 100 meteors per hour. However, in reality, you’re likely to witness far fewer, possibly only a few dozen per hour. Nonetheless, the Perseid meteor shower remains a spectacular event.
The Perseid meteor shower is about to reach its peak. – Photo credit: Getty Images
Where to look in the sky
The most favorable direction to observe the Perseid meteor shower is directly overhead. Aim to have as much of the sky in your field of view as possible, as the meteors will traverse the entire sky and won’t be confined to a specific location.
It can be useful to know the radiant point, as it helps differentiate the Perseids from sporadic meteors. The radiant point of a meteor shower appears to be the origin of the meteors.
In the case of the Perseid meteor shower, the radiant point is within the constellation Perseus, hence the name “Perseid meteor shower.”
If you look towards the northeast early in the morning, you’ll spot the constellation Perseus positioned directly above the bright Jupiter. Taurus is situated to the right of Jupiter, and you might even catch a glimpse of Mars nearby.
Since the sun rises in the east, facing in that direction and slightly turning left will have you looking towards the northeast. However, don’t worry if you’re unsure of the direction – meteors can appear anywhere overhead.
Perseus lies between the prominent “W” of Cassiopeia and the Pleiades star cluster. If you’re having difficulty locating the radiant point, an astronomy app can assist you (check out our recommended astronomy apps).
* The closest conjunction of Mars and Jupiter is set to occur on August 14, 2024. This will be the closest conjunction of the two planets until 2033, potentially offering an extraordinary sight alongside the Perseid meteor shower.
What causes the Perseid meteor shower?
Meteor showers manifest when a parent object (typically a comet or asteroid) leaves behind a trail of debris in its path around the Sun. As Earth intersects with this debris stream, the particles interact with the atmosphere, creating luminous streaks known as shooting stars.
Regular meteor showers like the Perseids follow a predictable pattern, occurring at the same time each year and peaking when Earth’s orbit intersects with the densest part of the shower.
According to astronomer David Schneider, “As Earth passes through the debris stream, the density of particles increases to a maximum and then decreases again. This usually takes a few weeks, but can also take a few days. The meteor shower peaks during the period of maximum density.” Presenter Pete Lawrence further elaborates.
In the case of the Perseids, Comet Swift-Tuttle serves as the parent body, which is a sizable comet composed of dust, ice, and rock. With a nucleus diameter of approximately 26 kilometers (about 16 miles) and a 133-year orbit around the Sun, Comet Swift-Tuttle is classified as a short-period comet denoted by the “P” in its official designation, 109P/Swift-Tuttle.
The comet’s last visible appearance was in 1992, with its next anticipated return in 2125 or 2126. While it was too dim to be observed with the naked eye in 1992, a clearer view is expected a century from now.
Will the moon affect visibility?
This year, moonlight may pose a challenge as a half moon will be visible on the evenings of August 11 and 12 before and after the peak. The moon’s luminosity will gradually increase as it approaches full moon status on August 19.
If observing at night, you may have to contend with moonlight obstruction, with the Moon being 51% bright on August 12 and 61% bright on August 13.
However, as the Perseid meteor shower activity intensifies after midnight on both nights, observing in the early morning should not be hindered by the moon’s light.
The optimum viewing time for the Perseid meteor shower is before sunrise between midnight and 5:30 am in the UK and 6 am in the US. With the moon below the horizon, there will be a higher probability of witnessing more meteors.
Tips for Maximizing Your Meteor Watching Experience
You don’t need a telescope or binoculars to enjoy the Perseid meteor shower; it’s best observed with the naked eye to capture a wider expanse of the sky than through optical devices.
“For optimal visibility, watch in a dark, moonless sky and allow at least 20 minutes in complete darkness to acclimatize to your surroundings,” suggests Lawrence. “A reclining chair provides an ideal vantage point for meteor observation.”
“Spend at least 30 minutes, if not longer, watching the sky. The rest is up to chance, but witnessing a bright summer meteor streaking across the sky will leave a lasting impression,” he adds.
Here are some tips to help you maximize your meteor viewing experience.
Avoid bright lights. Choose viewing locations away from bright artificial lights and ensure that streetlights are not directly in your line of vision.
Allow your eyes to adapt. Spend about 20 minutes outside until your eyes adjust to the darkness.
Use a red light filter when looking at your phone. This can be a physical red filter or an app that maintains your night vision until your eyes acclimate.
Choose the right time: Early morning is the prime time to witness the Perseid meteor shower at its peak activity and with the Moon below the horizon.
Block out the moon. If unable to observe in the early morning, still look out for meteors in the evening. During the peak on August 11/12 and 12/13, the Moon will be about 50-60% illuminated, so position yourself where the Moon is obscured by buildings or trees for better viewing.
Keep a wide field of vision. Maximize your peripheral vision to see as much of the sky as possible.
Beware of fireballs. The larger particles from the comet fragments responsible for the Perseid meteor shower can produce bright, long-lasting bursts of light, known as fireballs.
Identifying Perseid Meteors
While other meteors might be visible during this event, they are considered sporadic meteors.
Referred to as “sporadic meteor showers,” these meteors can appear from any direction in the sky and are not linked to a specific meteor shower like the Perseids (albeit they may originate from undiscovered meteor showers).
Lawrence differentiates between sporadic and shower meteors, stating: “Sporadic meteors occur when a small rock, typically the size of a grain of sand, enters Earth’s atmosphere, vaporizes, and creates a luminous streak known as a meteor trail. These occur randomly and can appear at any time, from any direction.”
Distinguishing between a sporadic meteor and a Perseid meteor shower can be tricky, but it’s based on their apparent direction in the sky. Meteor showers typically emanate from the radiant point associated with the shower, while sporadic meteors can streak across the sky from any direction at any given time.
According to Lawrence, “Meteor showers, in contrast [to sporadics], occur when a stream of sand-sized particles in orbit around the Sun intersects Earth’s atmosphere. Associated with comets and possibly asteroids, these particles are released over time and dispersed into orbit.”
“As they follow parallel orbits around the Sun and enter the atmosphere, they appear to originate from the same region of the sky, known as the shower’s radiant point.”
Knowing the radiant point of a specific meteor shower (such as the constellation Perseus for the Perseid meteor shower) enables you to discern whether the meteor you’re witnessing belongs to that meteor shower or if it’s a sporadic meteor.
About our experts
Pete Lawrence: With extensive experience as an astronomer, astrophotographer, and BBC night sky presenter, Pete Lawrence’s expertise shines on the show aired on BBC Four and available on demand through BBC iPlayer.
Astronomers using the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope have captured new infrared images of two interacting galaxies. Alp 142.
This Webb image shows two interacting galaxies known as Arp 142. On the left is NGC 2937, nicknamed “The Egg” because of its appearance, and on the right is NGC 2936, nicknamed “The Penguin” because of its appearance. Image courtesy of NASA/ESA/CSA/Webb/STScI.
The interacting pair, Arp 142, is located about 326 million light-years away in the southern constellation Hydra.
It contains the star-forming spiral galaxy NGC 2936 and its elliptical companion galaxy NGC 2937 at the lower left, which bears a striking resemblance to a penguin guarding its eggs.
The “penguin” part of the pair, NGC 2936, was probably once a relatively ordinary-looking spiral galaxy – flat like a pancake, with smoothly symmetrical spiral arms.
Because of the abundance of newly formed, hot stars, its shape is twisted and distorted by the gravitational forces of nearby stars.
The twin “egg,” NGC 2937, is a collection of much older stars and, in contrast, is largely featureless.
The absence of glowing red dust features indicates that it long ago lost its reservoir of gas and dust from which new stars could form.
“The two asteroids first came close to each other between 25 million and 75 million years ago, triggering 'fireworks' – the formation of new stars – in the constellation of Penguin,” astronomer Webb said in a statement.
“In the most extreme cases, galaxy mergers could result in the formation of thousands of new stars every year for millions of years.”
“In the case of penguins, studies have found that they form around 100-200 stars per year. By comparison, in our own Milky Way galaxy (which is not interacting with a galaxy of a similar size), around six to seven new stars form per year.”
“This gravitational rocking also changed the penguins' appearance,” they noted.
“The spiral arms uncoiled, pulling gas and dust in different directions like confetti.”
“When galaxies interact, it's rare for individual stars to collide (the universe is huge), but the intermingling of galaxies disrupts the orbits of stars.”
“Currently, the centre of the Penguin's galaxy looks like an eye inside its head, and the galaxy has a prominent star trail in the shape of a beak, spine and fanned-out tail. A faint but noticeable dust ribbon stretches from the beak to the tail.”
“Although the Penguin Galaxy appears much larger than the Egg Galaxy, the two galaxies have roughly the same mass,” the astronomers said.
“This is one of the reasons why the tiny looking egg hasn't merged with the penguin yet.”
“Because the elliptical egg is filled with old stars and contains very little gas or dust, it doesn't emit its own 'streams' or tidal tails, and instead maintains its compact elliptical shape.”
“If you look closely, the Egg has four noticeable diffraction spikes – it's glowing because of a high concentration of stars from the galaxy.”
“Now, find the bright, edge-on galaxy in the upper right. It may look like it's crashing the party, but it’s not close by.”
Cataloging No. 1237172It lies nearly 100 million light-years from Earth. It is relatively young and not covered by dust, making it virtually invisible in Webb's mid-infrared images.”
More than 3,500 photos were submitted for the award, and Karina Leterrier Baeza's photo was among the 30 finalists. Arctic DragonThis photo taken at Arctic Henge in Iceland shows the aurora borealis, the result of a geomagnetic storm caused by a coronal mass ejection, resembling a rearing dragon.
The final candidates are The cry of a dying star (Below), photo by Jan Sainty. The “star” in question is actually the remnant of a supernova explosion, when a star dies and explodes, releasing a tremendous amount of light and energy. This explosion occurred about 10,000 years ago.
Sainty combined clear skies and a long exposure in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco to capture rarely seen details of this glowing remnant, called Cygnus Loop, named after the famous painting. scream Sainti said the painting symbolizes Edvard Munch's “The Scream,” but also the “scream” that reverberates through the universe after a star dies.
Below is a stunning photo of the sun's corona (the outermost layer of the atmosphere) over the Himalayan mountain ranges, taken by Geshuang Chen near the Tibetan city of Shigatse. Normally hidden by the brightness of the sun's surface, the corona can be glimpsed here because thin clouds are diffracting sunlight, producing a vibrant array of rainbow colors. Chen calls this image the “solar corona.” Himalayan Palette.
The winner of the competition, run by the Royal Observatory, will be announced on September 12th. The winning submission, along with the finalists' works, will be displayed in an exhibition at the National Maritime Museum in London from September 14th.
The magnificent tree frog (Litoria splendida) is normally green, but this mutant is blue
J Barker/AWC
A rare blue frog found in the Kimberley region of Western Australia has stunned researchers who say the unusual colouring is probably due to a genetic mutation causing it to lose certain skin pigments.
As its name suggests, the magnificent tree frog (Litoria splendida) is already a spectacular animal, so when Jake Barker When he saw a bright blue specimen on a bench in a workshop at the Australian Wildlife Conservancy’s Charnley River-Artesian Range Wildlife Sanctuary in April, he was shocked.
The amphibians are normally a vibrant green, which is a common colour for tree frogs and is thought to camouflage them.
“I knew as soon as I saw it that it was rare,” says Barker. “It’s not often that you get to see a blue frog.” It has been seen a number of times since, but won’t be captured for research, he says.
“It’s far too pretty and far too unique and it would be a pity to take it away from its natural habitat,” says Barker. “We’ll leave it to live out its days and hopefully get to see it many more times in the future.”
Jodi Rowley At the Australian Museum in Sydney, the animal may be the “most beautiful, aberrant-coloured frog” that she has ever seen. “And I have seen tens of thousands of frogs.”
From the photos she has seen, Rowley says the frog is at least 2 to 3 years old. The species may live to be 20 years old, so the blue individual is likely to be around for a while unless caught by a predator.
She says the frogs’ skin colour is determined by the combination of three chemicals – melanophores, which provide blacks and browns; xanthophores, which provide yellow pigments; and iridophores, which reflect blue colours. Normally, the yellows and blues combine to make green, but it is thought the new blue frog has a mutation that means it is missing the yellow pigments and the blue dominates.
“Blue is probably a bit more obvious to predators,” says Rowley, “which is why we don’t see many blue frogs.”
debtMark Aitken has been working on a photo series in Lapland for the past two years. The Presence of Absence“The work explores the delicate, sometimes eerie, boundary between life and death experienced by people living in this extreme climate and landscape,” he says.
Aitken, who was born in New Zealand, grew up in South Africa and has lived in London for many years, took the photo on a sheep farm this spring. “Kukkola is a small village on the Finnish-Lapland border on the Tornio River close to Sweden. The farm has been running for 20 years and this lamb is one of around 100 born in March and April,” Aitken says.
The lamb doesn’t have a name, but the inquisitive collie does: “He’s a lively young male called Possu, which means piglet. I saw the two animals interacting when I went into the barn to find Jaana, one of the farm owners, and arrange a time to take her portrait.”
Aitken usually shoots on 35mm film and likes to take his time preparing to take a photograph, especially when working with people. “When the right atmosphere, light and mood is achieved, I press the shutter. I like this discipline. This process also applies to printing in the darkroom. Only then does the memory of that moment become associated with the photograph.”
That day, he didn’t have his camera with him, but he did have his iPhone SE, and before his eyes the theme of his series was playing out in a whole new way: “I was amazed and intrigued by the inter-species relationships. The possu were trying to herd the lambs, but they were failing. The lambs hadn’t yet learned fear.”
In this new image, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope captures the glow of spiral galaxy NGC 4951.
This Hubble image shows NGC 4951, a spiral galaxy about 49 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. Image courtesy of NASA / ESA / Hubble / D. Thilker / M. Zamani, ESA and Hubble.
NGC 4951 is located about 49 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Virgo.
Also known as AGC 530015, IRAS 13025-0613, or LEDA 45246, the galaxy has a diameter of about 65,000 light-years.
It was discovered on April 17, 1784 by German-born British astronomer William Herschel.
The new image of NGC 4951 is Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) is in the ultraviolet, infrared, and optical parts of the spectrum.
It is based on data acquired through six filters: color is generated by assigning a different hue to each monochrome image associated with an individual filter.
“The data used to create this image was taken by Hubble as part of a program to study how matter and energy move in nearby galaxies,” Hubble astronomers said. statement.
“Galaxy undergoes continuous cycles of star formation: gas within galaxies forms molecular clouds, which collapse to form new stars, and then the formed clouds are dispersed by powerful radiation and stellar winds in a process called feedback.”
“The remaining gas will form new clouds elsewhere,” the researchers added.
“This cycle of matter and energy transfer determines how quickly a galaxy forms stars and how quickly it exhausts its supply of gas — in other words, how the galaxy evolves throughout its life.”
“To understand this evolution, we need to know the nebulae, stars and star clusters in our galaxy, when they formed and what their past behavior is.”
“The Hubble Telescope has always excelled at measuring stellar populations, and its work tracking gas and star formation in galaxies including NGC 4951 is no exception,” the astronomers noted.
NGC 4951 is also classified as a Seyfert galaxy, a type of galaxy that has a so-called active galactic nucleus.
“The image gives a good glimpse into how energetic the galaxy is and some of the dynamic galactic activity that transports matter and energy throughout the galaxy: a glowing core surrounded by swirling arms, pink-hued star-forming regions, and thick dust,” the researchers said.
Astronomers used images from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope to create a new 3D visualization of the Pillars of Creation, three towers of gas and dust within the Eagle Nebula.
The Pillars of Creation are three towers of gas and dust located about 6,500 light-years away in the constellation Serpens.
These are fascinating but relatively small features of the Eagle Nebula (also known as Messier 16), discovered in 1745 by Swiss astronomer Jean-Philippe Roy de Chéseaux.
The Pillars of Creation are approximately 4-5 light years long, and the nebula is 55-70 light years wide.
They are caused by massive, newly formed, blue-white O and B type stars emitting intense ultraviolet radiation and stellar winds that blow away less dense material from around them.
“By flying between the pillars, viewers will experience the 3D structure of the pillars and see how they look different in Hubble's visible light view and Webb's infrared light view,” said Dr. Frank Summers, principal visualization scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute.
“This contrast helps us understand why we need multiple space telescopes to observe different aspects of the same object.”
“The four pillars of creation are made mostly of cold molecular hydrogen and dust, eroded away by violent winds and intense ultraviolet radiation from nearby hot young stars.”
“Protruding from the top of the pillar is a finger-like structure larger than our solar system. Embedded within this finger may be a newborn star.”
“The tallest pillar stretches for three light years, which is three-quarters of the distance between the Sun and the next nearest star.”
Mosaic of visible (Hubble) and infrared (Webb) light images of the same frame from the Pillars of Creation visualization. Image credit: Greg Bacon / Ralf Crawford / Joseph DePasquale / Leah Hustak / Christian Nieves / Joseph Olmsted / Alyssa Pagan / Frank Summers, STScI / NASA Universe of Learning.
The film takes visitors through a 3D structure of the Pillars of Creation.
“Making the Pillars of Creation in 3D was always something we had in mind,” said Dr Greg Bacon, also of the Space Telescope Science Institute.
“By combining the Webb data with the Hubble data, we were able to get a much more detailed look at the pillars.”
“Understanding the science and knowing how to best represent it enabled our small, talented team to rise to the challenge of visualizing this iconic structure.”
This new visualization allows viewers to experience how two of the world's most powerful space telescopes work together to provide a more complex and holistic portrait of the pillar.
Hubble will observe objects glowing in visible light at thousands of degrees, while Webb's infrared vision is sensitive to cooler objects at temperatures of hundreds of degrees, allowing it to penetrate the obscuring dust and see the stars embedded in the pillar.
“The combined observations from NASA's space telescopes across many wavelengths of light expand our understanding of the universe,” said Dr. Mark Crumpen, director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters.
“The Pillars of Creation region continues to provide us with new insights that improve our understanding of how stars form.”
“This new visualization now allows everyone to experience this rich and captivating landscape in a new way.”
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope captured this stunning image of a barred spiral galaxy called NGC 4731.
This Hubble Space Telescope image shows NGC 4731, a barred spiral galaxy about 43 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. Image courtesy of NASA / ESA / Hubble / D. Thilker.
NGC 4731 It is located in the constellation Virgo, about 43 million light years from Earth.
Also known as IRAS 12484-0607, LEDA 43507, and UGCA 302, it is classified as a barred spiral galaxy.
“Barred spiral galaxies outnumber regular spiral and elliptical galaxies combined, making up about 60 percent of all galaxies,” the Hubble astronomers said.
“The bar-like structure we see is the result of the orbits of stars and gas in our galaxy aligning, forming dense regions where individual stars move in and out over time.”
“This is the same process that maintains the spiral arms of our galaxy, but in the case of barred galaxies it's a bit more mysterious. As spiral galaxies mature they seem to form a bar at their centre, which explains the large number of bar structures we see today. But later on the bar can also be lost if the accumulated mass along it becomes unstable.”
“The orbital patterns and gravitational interactions of galaxies support the bar-like structure of the galaxy, transporting matter and energy and promoting star formation.”
“Indeed, the observing program studying NGC 4731 seeks to investigate this flow of matter within the galaxy,” they added.
beginning discovered Discovered on April 25, 1784 by German-born British astronomer William Herschel, NGC 4731 has a diameter of about 80,000 light years.
With LEDA 43526 Galaxy, Forms Holm 472, a pair of interacting galaxies.
NGC 4731 is also a member of the NGC 4697 galaxy group. Located Near the Virgo Supercluster.
“Beyond the bar, NGC 4731's spiral arms extend far beyond the scope of this close-up Hubble image,” the astronomers said.
“The galaxy's elongated arms are thought to be the result of gravitational interactions with other nearby galaxies in the Virgo Cluster.”
The color image of NGC 4731 includes ultraviolet, near-infrared, and optical observations. Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3).
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 richness of color reveals the galaxy's swirling gas clouds, dark dust bands, bright pink star-forming regions, and most notably, its long, luminous arms stretching out behind it,” the researchers said.
Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have captured sharp images of NGC 4689, a jewel-bright spiral galaxy in the constellation Coma.
This Hubble image shows spiral galaxy NGC 4689 located 52 million light-years away in the constellation of Coma. Image credits: NASA / ESA / Hubble / D. Tilker / J. Lee / PHANGS-HST Team.
NGC 4689 It is located approximately 52 million light-years away in the constellation Kamina.
“Of the 88 constellations officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), Coma has the distinction of being the only constellation named after a historical figure. Queen Berenice II of Egypt” explained the Hubble astronomer.
“The Latin word ‘coma’ refers to her hair, meaning that NGC 4689 can be said to be present in the Queen’s hair.”
“Some of Berenice’s contemporaries may have meant this quite literally; her court astronomer believed that Berenice’s lost locks had been destroyed by God (“among the stars”). It was given this name because there is a story that it was thought to have been placed in It is the constellation of Coma. ”
NGC 4689 is discovered It was proposed by German-born British astronomer William Herschel on April 12, 1784.
Also known as LEDA 43186 or UGC 7965, this galaxy is a member of the Virgo Cluster, a group of more than 2,000 galaxies.
NGC 4689 is tilted 36 degrees and can be viewed almost head-on.
The new images of the galaxy were created from separate exposures taken in the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared spectral regions. Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3).
This is based on data obtained through a gender filter. Color is obtained by assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter.
“This image was created using two sets of observations taken in 2019 and 2024, both as part of a program to observe multiple ‘nearby’ galaxies.” Astronomy said the people.
The 2024 observing program is an interesting example of how Hubble, a relatively old but highly productive telescope, can support the work of the technologically cutting-edge Webb Telescope. ”
“Observations collected by Webb change our understanding of how galaxies change and evolve over time by providing data of unprecedented detail and clarity. It will be.”
“But thanks to their complementary capabilities, new observations from Hubble (such as those used to create new images) can aid the work being done using the Web.”
“In this case, the Hubble data were collected to better understand the stellar populations of nearby galaxies, which is critical to understanding the evolution of galaxies.”
“NGC 4689 therefore plays an important role in advancing our understanding of how all galaxies evolve.”
Thanks to a new visualization created on a NASA supercomputer, we can now dive into the event horizon, the point of no return for a black hole.
“People often ask about this, but simulating these hard-to-imagine processes is the key to bringing the mathematics of relativity to reality,” said Dr. Jeremy Schnitman, an astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. “It helps us connect this with real-world consequences in the universe.”
“So I simulated two different scenarios: one in which the camera, standing in for the daring astronaut, misses the event horizon and the slingshot recedes; This is a scenario in which your fate will be determined.
To create the visualization, Dr. Schnitman worked with scientist Brian Powell at Goddard Space Flight Center and used the Discover supercomputer at the NASA Climate Simulation Center.
It took about five days to generate about 10 terabytes of data and run on just 0.3% of Discover’s 129,000 processors. It would take a typical laptop more than a decade to do the same thing.
The destination is a supermassive black hole with a mass 4.3 million times that of the Sun, comparable to the monster at the center of the Milky Way.
“If I had a choice, I would want to fall into a supermassive black hole,” Dr. Schnitman said.
“Stellar-mass black holes, containing up to about 30 solar masses, have much smaller event horizons and stronger tidal forces, and can tear apart approaching objects before they reach the horizon.”
This occurs because the gravitational force at the edge of the object near the black hole is much stronger than at the opposite edge. Falling objects stretch like noodles, a process astrophysicists call spaghettification.
The simulated black hole’s event horizon spans about 16 million miles (25 million km), or about 17% of the distance from Earth to the sun.
A flat, swirling cloud of hot, glowing gas called an accretion disk surrounds it and serves as a visual reference as it falls.
The same goes for glowing structures called photon rings, which are formed near black holes by light that has circled the hole one or more times.
A starry sky background seen from Earth completes the scene.
As the camera approaches the black hole, approaching the speed of light itself, the glow from the accretion disk and background stars is amplified, similar to the pitch of the sound of an approaching race car increasing.
If you look in the direction of travel, the light will appear brighter and whiter.
The film begins with a camera located some 640 million km (400 million miles) away, and a black hole quickly fills the field of view.
In the process, the black hole’s disk, photon ring, and night sky become increasingly distorted, even forming multiple images as light traverses an increasingly distorted space-time.
In real time, the camera takes about three hours to fall to the event horizon, performing nearly two full 30-minute orbits along the way. But for those observing from afar, it will never get there.
As the space-time distortion increases as you approach the horizon, the camera’s image slows down and appears to stop in front of you. This is why astronomers originally called black holes “frozen stars.”
At the event horizon, even space-time itself flows inward at the speed of light, the speed limit of the universe.
Once inside, both the camera and the spacetime it moves through hurtle towards the center of the black hole. A one-dimensional point called a singularity, where the laws of physics as we know them no longer work.
NASA’s visualization shows a camera tracking a supermassive black hole, similar in mass to that at the center of our galaxy, as it approaches, briefly orbits, and crosses the event horizon (point of no return). Masu. Image credit: J. Schnittman & B. Powell, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
“Once the camera crosses the horizon, there are only 12.8 seconds left before spaghettification destruction,” Dr. Schnitman said.
From there, the singularity is only 128,000 km (79,500 miles) away. The last leg of this voyage is over in the blink of an eye.
In another scenario, the camera orbits close to the event horizon, but never crosses it and flees to safety.
If an astronaut were to fly this six-hour round trip, and her co-worker on the mother ship was far away from the black hole, she would return 36 minutes younger than her co-worker.
That’s because time slows down when you move near a strong source of gravity or at speeds close to the speed of light.
“This situation could become even more extreme,” Dr. Schnitman says.
“If a black hole were rotating rapidly, like the one shown in the 2014 movie, interstellar, she would return many years younger than the sailors. ”
Astronomers using the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope have captured the most detailed images ever of the Horsehead Nebula, one of the most distinctive objects in our sky.
At the bottom of this Web/NIRCam image, a small portion of the Horsehead Nebula is visible up close as a curved wall of thick, smoky gas and dust. Above the nebula, various distant stars and galaxies can be seen all the way to the top of the image. Image credits: NASA / CSA / ESA / Webb / K. Misselt, University of Arizona / A. Abergel, IAS, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS.
The Horsehead Nebula is located in the constellation Orion, about 1,500 light-years from Earth.
Also known as Barnard 33, this nebula is visible only because its indistinct dust is silhouetted against the brighter nebula IC 434.
The Horsehead Nebula is just one small feature of the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex, with the glowing Flame Nebula dominating the center of this view.
The nebula was first recorded by Scottish astronomer Williamna Fleming on February 6, 1888.
The object is formed by a collapsing cloud of interstellar matter and shines in the light of a nearby hot star.
The gas cloud surrounding the horsehead has now disappeared, but the protruding columns are made of stronger material that is less erodible.
Astronomers estimate that the Horsehead Formation has about 5 million years left to collapse.
The new image from the web focuses on the upper illuminated edge of the nebula’s characteristic dust and gas structures.
This Webb/MIRI image is more than half filled from bottom to top with a small section of the Horsehead Nebula. Image credits: NASA / CSA / ESA / Webb / K. Misselt, University of Arizona / A. Abergel, IAS, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS.
“In such regions, ultraviolet light from young massive stars creates a region of warm, nearly neutral gas and dust between the fully ionized gas around the massive star and the clouds they are born into. .”
“This UV radiation has a strong effect on the gas chemistry in these regions and acts as the most important heat source.”
“These regions occur where the interstellar gas is concentrated enough to remain neutral, but not dense enough to prevent the transmission of deep ultraviolet light from massive stars.”
“Light emitted from such PDRs will be used to study the physical and chemical processes that drive the evolution of the interstellar medium in our galaxy and throughout the universe from the early days of active star formation to the present day. We provide unique tools for
“The Horsehead Nebula, due to its close proximity and near-edge-on geometry, provides an opportunity for astronomers to study the physical structure of the PDR and the evolution of the chemical properties of gas and dust within their respective environments and transition regions. is an ideal target for “among them. “
“This is considered one of the best objects to study how radiation interacts with the interstellar medium.”
“Thanks to Mr. Webb. mm (mid-infrared measuring instrument) and NIRCam “We used (near-infrared camera) equipment to reveal for the first time small-scale structures at the end of an illuminated horsehead,” they said.
“We also detected a network of stripes extending perpendicular to the PDR front and containing dust particles and ionized gas entrained in the nebula's photoevaporative flow.”
“These observations allowed us to investigate the effects of dust attenuation and ejection, and to better understand the multidimensional shape of the nebula.”
“Next, we will study the spectroscopic data obtained from the nebula to demonstrate the evolution of the physical and chemical properties of the material observed throughout the nebula.”
of result appear in the diary astronomy and astrophysics.
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A. Abergel other. 2024. His JWST observations of the horsehead photon-dominated region I. First results from multiband near-infrared and mid-infrared imaging. A&A, in press. doi: 10.1051/0004-6361/202449198
Messier 76also known as M76, NGC 650/651, or the Little Dumbbell Nebula, is a planetary nebula located approximately 3,400 light-years away in the northern constellation of Perseus.
This Hubble image shows Messier 76, a planetary nebula about 3,400 light-years away in the constellation Perseus. Image credit: NASA/ESA/STScI.
Since its launch in 1990, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has made 1.6 million observations of more than 53,000 celestial objects.
To date, the Space Telescope Science Institute's Mikulski Space Telescope Archive contains 184 terabytes of processed data.
Since 1990, 44,000 scientific papers have been published from Hubble observations.
Hubble is the most scientifically productive space astrophysics mission in NASA history.
Demand for the use of Hubble is so high that it is currently oversubscribed by a factor of 6 to 1.
Most of Hubble's discoveries, such as supermassive black holes, exoplanet atmospheres, gravitational lensing by dark matter, the presence of dark energy, and the abundance of interstellar planet formation, were not anticipated before launch.
To commemorate the 34th anniversary of Hubble's launch, astronomers took a snapshot of the planetary nebula Messier 76.
“Messier 76 is located approximately 3,400 light-years away in the northern constellation of Perseus,” Hubble astronomers said.
“It is classified as a planetary nebula, an expanding shell of glowing gas ejected from a dying red giant star. The star will eventually collapse into a super-dense, hot white dwarf.”
“Although planetary nebulae are not related to planets, they got their name because astronomers in the 1700s using low-power telescopes thought these types of objects resembled planets.”
“Messier 76 consists of a ring that is visible head-on as a central bar structure and two lobes located at openings on either side of the ring. Before burning out, the star ejected a ring of gas and dust. ”
“This ring was probably formed by the influence of a star that once had a binary companion.”
“This sloughed off material formed a thick disk of dust and gas along the orbital plane of the companion star.”
“The hypothetical companion star is not seen in the Hubble image, so it may have been later swallowed by the central star.”
“The host star has collapsed to form a white dwarf,” the researchers said.
“It is one of the hottest stellar remnants known, at a scorching 139,000 degrees Celsius (250,000 degrees Fahrenheit), 24 times the surface temperature of the Sun.”
“The blazing white dwarf is visible pinpointed in the center of the nebula. The stars visible projected beneath it are not part of the nebula.”
“Sandwiched by the disk, two clumps of hot gas escape from above and below the 'belt' along the star's axis of rotation perpendicular to the disk.”
“They are propelled by hurricane-like outflows of material from dying stars, tearing apart space at 2 million miles per hour.”
“That's fast enough to travel from Earth to the Moon in just over seven minutes.”
“This intense stellar wind is channeling cooler, slower-moving gas that was ejected during the star's early stages of life, when it was a red giant.”
“Intense ultraviolet radiation from superhot stars makes the gas glow. The red color is due to nitrogen, and the blue color is due to oxygen.”
“Given that our solar system is 4.6 billion years old, according to cosmological timekeeping, the entire nebula is a fleeting event. It will disappear in about 15,000 years.”
Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have captured an excellent image of the spiral galaxy ESO 422-41 in the constellation Columba.
This Hubble image shows ESO 422-41, a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Columba, about 34 million light-years away. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / C. Kilpatrick.
ESO 422-41 It is located in the constellation Columba, about 34 million light years away.
DDO 230, LEDA 16864, or UGCA 103, the diameter of this spiral galaxy is 30,000 light years.
“The name ESO 422-41 comes from its appearance in the European Southern Observatory (B) Atlas of the Southern Sky,” Hubble astronomers said.
“In the era before automated sky surveys by space observatories such as ESA's Gaia satellite, large-scale photographic surveys discovered many stars, galaxies, and nebulae.”
“Astronomers used the then most advanced large telescopes to create hundreds of photographs covering parts of the sky.”
“They then studied the resulting photographs and attempted to catalog all the new objects revealed.”
“In the 1970s, a new telescope at ESO's La Silla facility in Chile probed the southern sky, which had not yet been explored as deeply as the northern sky,” they added.
“At that time, the primary technology for recording images was glass plates treated with chemicals.”
“The resulting collection of photographic plates became the ESO (B) Atlas of the Southern Sky.”
“Astronomers from ESO and Uppsala, Sweden, worked together to study the plates and recorded hundreds of galaxies (ESO 422-41 is just one of them), star clusters and nebulae. I was a beginner.”
“Since then, astronomical sky surveys have progressed from digital, computer-aided surveys such as the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and Legacy Survey to surveys performed by space telescopes such as Gaia and the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). It has transitioned to
“Nonetheless, photographic sky surveys have made significant contributions to astronomical knowledge over the decades, and the glass plate archive serves as an important historical reference for a wide range of skies. .”
“Some of them are still actively used, for example, to study variable stars over time,” the researchers pointed out.
“And the objects revealed by these surveys, including ESO 422-41, can now be studied in detail with telescopes like Hubble.”
The new images of ESO 422-41 consist of observations from Hubble's advanced survey camera (ACS) in the near-infrared and optical portions 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.
Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have taken photos of NGC 3783, a bright barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Centaurus.
This Hubble image shows NGC 3783, a barred spiral galaxy about 135 million light-years away in the constellation Centaurus. The color images consist of infrared and optical observations from Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3). Based on data obtained through five filters. Color is obtained by assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter. Image credits: NASA / ESA / Hubble / MC Benz / DJV Rosario.
Also known as ESO 378-14, LEDA 36101, or 2XMM J113901.7-374418, this galaxy was first discovered It was announced by British astronomer John Herschel on April 21, 1835.
NGC 3783 is home to a rapidly rotating black hole of 2.8 million solar masses.
It is a major member of the NGC 3783 galaxy group, which is a collection of 47 galaxies.
“Like galaxy clusters, galaxy groups are gravitationally bound collections of galaxies,” the Hubble astronomers said.
“However, galaxy groups are smaller and contain fewer members than galaxy clusters. Galaxy clusters can contain hundreds or even thousands of member galaxies, whereas galaxy groups typically contain fewer than 50. It does not include galaxies that exceed
“The Milky Way is actually part of a group of galaxies known as the Local Group, which includes two other large galaxies (Andromeda and the Triangular Galaxy) and dozens of satellite galaxies. Contains dwarf galaxies.
“On the other hand, the NGC 3783 galaxy group contains 47 galaxies,” they added.
“It also appears to be at a fairly early stage in its evolution, making it an interesting subject to study.”
“Although the focus of this image is spiral galaxy NGC 3783, your eye is equally focused on a very bright object in the lower right-hand portion of this image. This is the star. HD 101274” said the researchers.
“The perspective of this image makes the stars and galaxies appear to be close companions, but this is an illusion.”
“HD 101274 is only about 1,530 light-years from Earth, which means it is about 85,000 times closer than NGC 3783.”
“This explains how a single star can appear to outshine an entire galaxy.”
According to scientists, NGC 3783 type I Seyfert galaxy — A galaxy with a bright central region.
“In this image, thanks to five separate images taken at different wavelengths of light, Hubble shows incredible detail, from the glowing central bar to the thin, winding arms and the dust that passed through them. ,” the researchers said.
“In fact, the center of the galaxy is bright enough for Hubble to exhibit diffraction spikes that are normally only seen in stars such as HD 101274.”
A new image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows a jet emerging from the cocoon of the multistar system FS Tau.
This Hubble image shows the multistar system FS Tau about 450 light-years away in the constellation Taurus. Image credit: NASA / ESA / K. Stapelfeldt, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory / Gladys Kober, NASA / Catholic University.
FS Tau It is located about 450 light years away in the constellation Taurus.
The system is part of the Taurus-Auriga region, a collection of dark molecular clouds that is home to many newly formed young stars.
FS Tau, also known as HH 157 or TIC 58437437, is only about 2.8 million years old, making it an extremely young star system.
FS Tau is a multi-star system consisting of FS Tau A, a bright star-like object near the center of the image, and FS Tau B, a bright object on the far right hidden by a dark vertical dust lane. ''' said the Hubble astronomer.
“The young object is surrounded by gently illuminated gas and dust in this stellar nursery.”
“FS Tau B is a protostar surrounded by a protoplanetary disk. A protoplanetary disk is a pancake-like collection of dust and gas left over from star formation that eventually coalesces to form a planet. It will be.”
“A thick lane of dust seen almost head-on separates what is believed to be the illuminated surface of the flared disk.”
“FS Tau B is probably T TauriAlthough nuclear fusion has not yet begun, it is a type of young variable star that is beginning to evolve into a hydrogen-fueled star similar to the Sun. ”
“Protostars glow because of the thermal energy released when the gas clouds from which they formed collapse, and from the accretion of material from nearby gas and dust.”
“Variable stars are a type of star whose brightness changes significantly over time.”
“FS Tau A itself is a Tauri T binary system, consisting of two stars orbiting each other,” the researchers added.
“Protostars are known to emit fast-moving columns of energetic material called jets, and FS Tau B provides a striking example of this phenomenon.”
“Protostars are the source of the unusual, asymmetric, double-sided jets that appear blue here.”
“Their asymmetric structure may be due to differences in the rate at which mass is ejected from the object.”
“Herbig halo objects form when jets of ionized gas emitted by young stars collide at high speed with nearby clouds of gas and dust, forming bright nebular patches.”
It has been close to two years since the world was first introduced to Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), the supermassive black hole residing at the center of the Milky Way.
A true behemoth, Sgr A* boasts a mass equivalent to 4 million suns and is encircled by hot pockets of swirling gas. Despite its immense size, it sits about 27,000 light-years away from Earth, appearing in the sky only as large as a donut on the moon’s surface.
In a recent study published in the Astrophysics Journal Letter and released by the event horizon telescope (EHT), Sgr A* was captured in polarized light for the first time.
Similar to how sunglasses can filter polarized light from the sun, astronomers utilize polarized light to unveil concealed magnetic fields.
The lines within the image indicate the direction of polarization, which correlates with the structure of the magnetic field surrounding the black hole.
“The spiral pattern observed swirling around the black hole signifies that the magnetic field must also be swirling, indicating a very strong and ordered field,” stated Dr. Sarah Isaun, an Einstein Fellow and co-leader of the project in the NASA Hubble Fellowship Program, as quoted in BBC Science Focus.
A comparison between the supermassive black holes M87* and Sagittarius A*, depicted in polarized light, reveals similar magnetic field structures, suggesting a universal feature among supermassive black holes. – Image credit: EHT Collaboration
The first-ever image of a black hole was unveiled by EHT in 2019, featuring a much grander black hole at the core of the Messier 87 galaxy (M87*).
M87* is approximately 1,000 times heavier than Sgr A*, leading to a slower rotation making it easier to image.
Further developments include astronomers releasing images of the magnetic field encompassing M87* in 2021. Overcoming the challenge of capturing our own supermassive black hole in polarized light took an additional three years.
In a surprising revelation, despite the contrasting sizes of the two black holes, the new images demonstrate strikingly similar magnetic field structures, emphasizing the prevalence of strong magnetic fields in both. This highlights a fundamental feature of supermassive black holes.
Isaun emphasized, “Sgr A* now holds a polarization structure remarkably akin to the larger, more potent M87* black hole, supporting the significance of a robust, well-ordered magnetic field in these entities.”
A comparison of the sizes of two black holes imaged by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration: M87* at the core of the galaxy Messier 87 and Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) at the center of the Milky Way. – Image credit: EHT Collaboration (Acknowledgment: Lia Medeiros, xkcd)
Previous investigations on M87* disclosed that the encircling magnetic field generates potent jets of energy and matter extending far beyond the galaxy. While astronomers have visualized the jet around M87*, it has remained elusive around Sgr A*. However, recent images unveil remarkable similarities between the two black holes, suggesting the potential existence of jets in both.
Isaun highlighted, “The jets within the host galaxy can stimulate or counteract star formation, exhibiting a fascinating interplay between the dynamics of these emanating jets from these black holes and the evolvement of the host galaxy. There exists a connection.”
“I believe we can extract valuable insights into our galaxy’s history from this connection.”
Upon the release of this image in 2022 by the EHT collaboration, it served as the premier visual evidence of a supermassive black hole residing at the heart of our galaxy, Sagittarius A*. – Image credit: EHT Collaboration
The upgraded EHT is set to observe Sgr A* once more next month, with astronomers hopeful of uncovering concealed jets and other facets of the galaxy’s central region.
Anticipate further groundbreaking revelations from EHT, potentially including more awe-inspiring images and even real-time video footage in years to come.
About our experts
Sarah Isaun is an observational astronomer and member of the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration. Her research focuses on aggregating, calibrating, and visualizing millimeter-wave radio observations of supermassive black holes. She led a project to produce new images of Sagittarius A* in polarized light.
This mesmerizing shot of the perfect alignment of the sun and full moon over Utah's Valley of the Gods last October is raising expectations for next month's total solar eclipse in North America.
This image, a collaboration between photographers Andrew McCarthy and Daniel Stein, shows an annular solar eclipse in which an outer “ring of fire” forms because the moon is too far from Earth to completely cover the sun. I am. The shot is the result of digitally stitching together thousands of images, combining Stein's landscape photography skills with McCarthy's experience capturing images of the sun.
After months of planning, the pair set up cameras and telescopes at carefully selected desert locations to capture the key shots, taking into account weather patterns, eclipse duration, and terrain features. did.
The image was published by Social media March 8th, exactly one month before a total solar eclipse, in which the moon completely covers the sun, will pass over North America. It will blanket much of the continent in darkness or completely, from Canada to the United States and Mexico. The path of the total eclipse will be much wider than the last similar solar eclipse in the region, covering almost 200 kilometers compared to about 115 kilometers in 2017.
“It’s easy to take the sun for granted, but [sun and moon] When combined during a solar eclipse, they are breathtakingly beautiful. I feel that incorporating landscape elements adds a sense of grounding to the images and allows the viewer to connect more deeply with the work,” says Stein.
Photographing a solar eclipse takes a little practice
Sebastian Kennerknecht/Minden Pictures/Alamy
Although some people spend years planning trips to see a total solar eclipse, the moment itself lasts only a few minutes at most. A well-taken photo will help you remember the moment years later.
Fortunately, with a little practice, even beginners can capture great images. Learn how to photograph a solar eclipse without any prior experience or fancy camera equipment.
location, location, location
Of course, you can’t photograph a solar eclipse unless you’re in its path. On April 8, everyone in North America will see at least a partial solar eclipse. A partial solar eclipse must be viewed through eclipse glasses and photographed using a solar filter (see details below).
Only those who have entered the path of totality can see the total solar eclipse. Much of the experience will be the same, with partial stages requiring eclipse glasses and eclipse filters, but midway through totality, where the moon completely blocks the sun for several minutes. Only during this period will the eclipse glasses and solar filters come off, allowing you to see and photograph the sun’s corona with the naked eye. This is the shot everyone wants.
How to photograph a total solar eclipse using a smartphone
If you’re in the middle of a totality, forget about handheld video or zooming in on the eclipse sun. The results of using a smartphone will be disappointingly bleak. Instead, focus on taking wide-angle shots that use silhouettes of people and objects to show off their overall beauty.
solar eclipse 2024
On April 8th, a total solar eclipse will pass over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Our special series covers everything you need to know, from how and when to see a solar eclipse to the strangest solar eclipse experience of all time.
Just before dark, put your phone into wide-angle mode. Focus on something in the middle distance and press and hold your finger on the screen to lock focus. Burst mode allows you to capture images continuously as soon as totality begins. That way, you can catch the “diamond ring,” the last and first beads of sunlight peeking around the moon just before and after totality.
How to photograph a total solar eclipse with a camera
If you have a manual DSLR or mirrorless camera and a variety of lenses, you can choose to shoot wide-angle or close-up of the eclipse. In partial phases, solar filters should be used.
Just before totality, make sure the partially eclipsed Sun is in focus and set your camera to bracketing mode (if you want to take three different exposures of the same image). “Make sure your camera is shooting at a low ISO (200-400) before and after totality to reduce noise,” he says. Mike Mezur, nature photographer. Remember to remove the solar filter during the diamond ring, take a bracket shot during totality, and put the solar filter back on as soon as he sees the second diamond ring at the end of totality.
How to take photos of a partial solar eclipse
To capture impressive shots of a partially eclipsed sun with your smartphone, you need to use a solar filter and keep your smartphone still. The latter can be done by using a tripod and delaying the shutter for a few seconds. There is no problem if you use solar eclipse glasses for the filter. If you have a spare lens, try cutting out one lens and taping it to your phone’s camera lens. Another option is to purchase a smartphone eclipse filter from a company such as: solar snap or business solar.
Smartphones aren’t prone to damage when pointed at the sun, but don’t point your manual camera at a partially chipped sun unless the lens is protected by a solar filter. You can purchase expensive glass solar filters or make your own using inexpensive Baader AstroSolar safety film.
The steps required to take a photo of a partial solar eclipse are a little more involved than taking a standard selfie, but you can practice ahead of time whenever the sun is clearly visible. “Adjust focus and set exposure manually” Karl Heilman, a New York-based photographer who teaches solar eclipse photography workshops. He recommends using an aperture of f/8-11, a shutter speed of 1/800, and ISO 100.
Also, be careful not to spend all your time fiddling with your camera. “As much as you want to photograph the event, put down your camera and take the time to take it in, because this is one of the most amazing things you’ll ever see,” says Mezur.
New photos from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope show nearby irregular galaxy UGC 5829, also known as the Spider Galaxy.
This Hubble image shows UGC 5829, an irregular galaxy located approximately 30 million light-years away in the constellation Sera. Image credits: NASA / ESA / Hubble / R. Tully / M. Messa.
UGC 5829 It is located approximately 30 million light-years away in the constellation Serra.
“Although this relatively faint galaxy has not been observed very often, it has the characteristic soubliquet of a spider galaxy,” Hubble astronomers said in a statement.
“Perhaps the distorted galactic arms with glowing tips that form stars remind us of the clawed legs of arachnids.”
“Somewhat confusingly, there is another galaxy known as the Spiderweb galaxy that has a very similar nickname but is otherwise completely separate.”
“Despite the fact that this galaxy is about 300 times further away from Earth than the Spider Galaxy, it has been imaged more extensively.”
“Fortunately, the ability to accurately identify galaxies does not depend on chance names.”
“Rather, known galaxies are recorded in at least one catalog, such as the Uppsala Galaxy Catalog, and are often recorded in multiple catalogs. It has been given a name.”
“This same galaxy has been given several different names in various other catalogs,” they added.
“For example, LEDA 31923 in the Lyon-Meudon Extragalactic Database; MCG+06-24-006 in the Galactic Morphology Catalog; and SDSS J104242.78+342657.3 in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Catalog.
“Spiderweb galaxies are not all recorded in the same catalog; each catalog is necessarily limited in scope. However, they are included in the LEDA catalog as LEDA 2826829.”
“It's clearly easier to avoid confusing the boring but unique names LEDA 31923 and LEDA 2826829 than the interesting but easily confused names Spider and Spiderweb.”
This is based on data obtained through four filters. Color is obtained by assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter.
The new Hubble images taken on January 5 and 6, 2024 show many large storms and small white clouds in Jupiter’s atmosphere, indicating a lot of activity.
Jupiter is revisited by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope in these images taken on January 5 and 6, 2024, capturing both sides of the giant planet. Image credit: NASA / ESA / STScI / Amy Simon, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
Jupiter’s colorful clouds create a constantly changing display of shapes and colors in its atmosphere.
The planet experiences various stormy weather patterns, including low-pressure systems, high-pressure systems, wind shear, and the Great Red Spot, the largest storm in the solar system.
Jupiter is covered by a cloud of ammonia ice crystals, about 48 km thick in an atmosphere that is tens of thousands of kilometers deep, resulting in the planet’s distinctive stripes.
The banding effect is caused by air moving at different latitudes and speeds of up to 563 km per hour.
The zones, where the atmosphere rises, are brightly colored, while the belts, where the air falls, are darker. Storms and turbulence occur when these opposing flows interact.
“The left Hubble image shows the iconic Great Red Spot prominently in Jupiter’s atmosphere,” stated Hubble astronomers.
“To the lower right is a feature known as Red Spot Junior, a high-pressure system resulting from storms in previous years.”
“This year, it appears to be turning red again, possibly due to compounds like sulfur and phosphorus.”
“In the right image, storm activity is visible in the opposite hemisphere, with two distinct storm systems rotating in opposite directions.”
These storms are expected to pass each other as they repel through their rotations.
“The presence of many storms and clouds in Jupiter’s atmosphere indicates a high level of activity,” said Dr. Amy Simon, OPAL project leader and astronomer at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
“Despite its small size, Jupiter’s moon Io shows volcanic activity, visible through Hubble’s sensitivity to blue and violet wavelengths.”
NASA has released a surprising new image of the little-known dwarf galaxy LEDA 42160 taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.
This Hubble image shows dwarf galaxy LEDA 42160 located 53.5 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble / M. Sun.
Also known as MCG+02-32-161, VCC 1725, ALFALFA 3-327, or AGC 220849, this galaxy is a member of a massive galaxy cluster called the Virgo Cluster.
“LEDA 42160 is one of many astronomers to force their way through the relatively dense gas in the Virgo cluster,” Hubble astronomers said.
“The pressure exerted by this intergalactic gas, known as the Ram pressure, has a dramatic effect on star formation in LEDA 42160, which is currently being studied using Hubble.”
“LEDA 42160 falls into the following categories.” magellanic spiral galaxyIn the de Vaucouleurs galaxy classification system, it is abbreviated as Sm. ”
“Magellanic spiral galaxies can be further classified as barred galaxies (SBm), barred galaxies (SAm), and weakly barred galaxies (SABm), where the ‘bar’ refers to the elongated bar at the center of the galaxy. ”
“Generally speaking, the Magellanic Spiral Galaxy is a dwarf galaxy with only one spiral arm.”
“They are named after their prototype SBm galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud.”
“The Magellanic Spiral Galaxy is an interesting example of how the classification of galaxies is actually more nuanced than just spiral, elliptical, irregular, etc.”
Color images of LEDA 42160 consist of observations from. Hubble’s advanced survey camera (ACS) in the near-infrared and optical portions 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.
NGC604 is comparable to renowned star-forming regions in the Milky Way, like the Orion Nebula, but is significantly larger and contains more recently created stars.
This image from the NIRCam instrument in Webb’s star-forming region NGC 604 shows how stellar winds from bright, hot young stars form cavities in the surrounding gas and dust. Image credit: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI.
NGC 604 is a star-forming region situated 2.73 million light-years away in the Triangulum Galaxy.
Also identified as RX J0134.5+3047. discovered It was discovered by German-born British astronomer William Herschel on September 11, 1784.
NGC 604 is believed to be approximately 3.5 million years old and spans about 1,300 light years in diameter.
In the recent image, near infrared camera (NIRCam) and Mid-infrared measuring instrument The (MIRI) experiment aboard NASA/ESA/CSA’s NGC 604 James Webb Space Telescope reveals cavernous bubbles and elongated filaments of gas that reveal a more detailed and complete representation of a star than ever seen before. Etched birth tapestry.
Sheltered within NGC 604’s dusty gases are more than 200 of the hottest and most massive types of stars, all in the early stages of their lives.
These types of stars include type B and type O, the latter of which can have a mass more than 100 times that of the Sun.
It is extremely rare to find such a large concentration of them in nearby space. In fact, there is no similar region within our Milky Way galaxy.
This concentration of massive stars, combined with its relatively close distance, means that NGC 604 offers astronomers the opportunity to study these objects early in their lives.
This image from NGC 604’s Webb MIRI instrument shows how large clouds of cooler gas and dust glow at mid-infrared wavelengths. Image credit: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI.
“The most striking features in Webb’s near-infrared NIRCam images are bright red-appearing tendrils or clumps of luminescence extending from areas that appear to be open spaces or large bubbles in the nebula,” Webb astronomers said. Ta.
“Stellar winds from the brightest and hottest young stars carve out these cavities, and ultraviolet light ionizes the surrounding gas. This ionized hydrogen appears as a ghostly glow of white and blue.”
“The bright orange streaks in Webb’s near-infrared images indicate the presence of carbon-based molecules known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).”
“This material plays an important role in the interstellar medium and in the formation of stars and planets, but its origin is a mystery.”
“If you move away from where the dust was immediately removed, a deeper red color represents hydrogen molecules. This cooler gas is the perfect environment for star formation.”
“Webb’s superior resolution also provides insight into functionality previously thought to be irrelevant to the main cloud,” they added.
“For example, the Webb image shows two bright, young stars burrowing into the dust above the central nebula, connected by a diffuse red gas.”
“These appeared as separate spots in visible-light images taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.”
Webb’s observations at mid-infrared wavelengths also offer new perspectives on the region’s diverse and dynamic activities.
“MIRI observations of NGC 604 show a significantly lower number of stars,” the astronomers said.
“This is because hot stars emit much less light at these wavelengths, while large clouds of cooler gas and dust glow.”
“Some of the stars seen in this image belong to surrounding galaxies and are red supergiants. These stars are cold but very large, hundreds of times the diameter of the Sun.”
“Additionally, some of the background galaxies that appeared in the NIRCam images have also dimmed.”
“In the MIRI image, blue tendrils of material indicate the presence of PAHs.”
Eddo Hartmann, Netherlands, Finalist, Professional Competition, Landscape, Sony World Photography Awards 2024
These photos, all shortlisted for the 2024 Sony World Photography Awards, get to the heart of human vulnerability and the fragility of nature.
Eddo Hartmann was selected as a finalist in the Landscape category for his series. sacrifice zoneA remote area in Kazakhstan that was the main Soviet nuclear testing site from 1949 to 1989.
The image above shows a dosimeter measuring radiation levels at Lake Shagan in Kazakhstan. The area remains highly contaminated from around 450 nuclear tests conducted there. The featured photo (above) shows the remains of an observation tower at Russia's Opitnoye Pole, another area used for Soviet nuclear tests.
Hartmann photographed these landscapes using infrared light, whose red tint was reminiscent of radioactive contamination that is invisible to the naked eye. “Local scientists are using infrared technology to monitor the current status of contaminated sites,” he says. “Chlorophyll found in green plants reflects significant amounts of infrared radiation. The different shades of reflection provide valuable insight into the overall environmental health of a given area.”
Jonas Kako, finalist, professional competition, environment, Sony WPA 2024
In the Albanian village of Zales, a girl climbs onto an old oil tank (pictured above). This image, taken by Jonas Kakó, was shortlisted in the Environment category. The photo below was taken by wildlife and nature finalist Jasper Dost of an elephant charging through Livingstone, Zambia.
Jasper Dost, Finalist, Professional Contest, Wildlife and Wildlife Nature, Sony WPA 2024
The winner of the competition will be announced on April 18th, before the exhibition opens at Somerset House, London, from April 19th to May 6th.
NASA/ESA/CSA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured new images of barred spiral galaxy NGC 1559.
This Webb image shows barred spiral galaxy NGC 1559, located approximately 32 million light-years away in the constellation Reticulata. Image credits: NASA / ESA / CSA / Webb / A. Leroy / J. Lee / PHANGS Team.
NGC 1559 is situated about 32 million light-years away in the southern constellation Rechi.
Also known as LEDA 14814, ESO 84-10, and IRAS 04170-6253, this galaxy was first observed in 1826 by Scottish astronomer James Dunlop.
NGC 1559 features extensive spiral arms filled with star formation and is receding from us at a speed of approximately 1,300 km/s.
It has a mass of around 10 billion solar masses, which may seem substantial, but it’s almost 100 times less than the mass of our Milky Way galaxy.
“NGC 1559 exhibits a massive spiral arm of active star formation moving away from us at 1,300 kilometers per second,” explained the Webb astronomers.
“Although NGC 1559 appears to be close to the Large Magellanic Cloud, one of the nearest clouds in the sky, this is merely a perspective illusion.”
“In reality, NGC 1559 is not physically near the Large Magellanic Cloud in space. It is actually isolated, lacking any nearby galactic companions or members of galaxy clusters.”
“MIRI captures the glow of interstellar dust particles that trace the interstellar medium fueling future star formation,” the astronomers elaborated.
“NIRCam reflects starlight and reveals young stars hidden behind vast amounts of dust.”
“This instrument also detects emission from ionizing nebulae around young stars.”
The image of NGC 1559 was taken by the PHANGS team as part of Webb’s observation of 55 galaxies using instruments such as the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.
“By combining Webb’s unique view of dust and stars with data from these other facilities, we can delve into the detailed processes of star birth, life, and death in galaxies across the universe. Our goal is to gain new insights into this phenomenon,” stated the researchers.
“This program is also part of a Treasury Department initiative, allowing immediate access to the data for the scientific community and the general public,” they added.
“This enables us to conduct more research at a faster pace.”
Snow-white northern booby (Moras Bassanus) In this action-packed photo, a man dives for food in the icy waters off the coast of Scotland's Shetland Islands. The seabird is about the same size as an albatross, with a wingspan of up to 180 centimeters. They also have strong neck muscles and nostrils on the inside of their beaks that can close to prevent water from entering, making them uniquely adapted to high-speed diving.
This shot was one of the most spectacular in the 2024 Underwater Photographer of the Year competition, which celebrates the wonders of the marine world.here are some new scientistThese are carefully selected works from among the many entries.
Virgo Shipwreck near Recife, Brazil
Fabi Fregonesi/UPY 2024
In this photo by Fabiana Fregonesi, a school of fish swarms around a shipwreck, forming a shape that momentarily resembles a boat's sail. The ship, called Virgo, was intentionally sunk in 2017 to serve as a diving site near Recife, Brazil.
“At that moment, I knew the ship was ready to set sail and the journey into an unknown adventure began,” Fregonesi said in a statement.
gray whale eyes
Rafael Fernandez Caballero/UPY 2024
Eye of Eastern Gray Whale (Eschrichius Robtus) penetrates this mysterious shot taken from just above the surface of a saltwater lagoon in western Mexico. These marine giants are friendly creatures and often approach boats to show curiosity. Whales undertake the longest annual migration of any mammal, from their summer feeding grounds in the Arctic south along the west coast of North America to the warm lagoons of Baja California, Mexico.
Octopus ringed with pyrosomes
Dennis Corpus/UPY 2024
In contrast to the giant gray whales, this 10 centimeter wide creature was captured up close in the deep waters off the coast of the Philippines. The circular object in the image is a pyrosome. This is a colonial animal called a zooid, which is made up of hundreds or thousands of tiny individuals. Encased in a strange pyrosome, a tiny octopus peeks out.
diving cormorant
John Anderson/UPY 2024
This ravenous cormorant mistakes photographer John Anderson's camera for a fish and heads straight for it. This stunning image was taken on a bright summer afternoon in a kelp forest at a dive site in Monterey, California. Many cormorant species rely on these special marine ecosystems to survive. However, local kelp forests have declined by 80% over the past decade.
Lunar New Year is celebrated around the world, and the phases of the moon, not the calendar, mark the beginning of 2024. This year's Chinese New Year was on his February 10th.
Chinese New Year is based on the lunisolar calendar, and the year begins when the second new moon (following the winter solstice) marks the beginning of the new year. This day is considered one of the most important days in Chinese culture, and families gather together to celebrate and eat together.
This year is the Year of the Dragon, the fifth of the 12-year animal cycle in the Chinese calendar. People born in the year of the Dragon are believed to have more power, luck, and success than other animals, so China tends to have more lunar birthdays.
However, Lunar New Year is not only celebrated in China. Here's how people around the world rated this event.
Wuhan, China
Children touch a traditional dragon head to pray for blessings after a performance on the second night of the Spring Festival in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, February 11, 2024.Photo courtesy: Getty Images
Seoul, South Korea
Korean performers wearing traditional costumes participate in traditional games to pray for good luck during the Lunar New Year at Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, South Korea, on February 11, 2024. Korean people travel from big cities to their hometowns during the Lunar New Year holiday to pay respects to the spirits of their ancestors.Photo provided by: Jung Sung-joon/Getty Images
london, united kingdom
Costumed performers entertain the audience at the 2024 Chinese New Year Dragon Parade in London, England. Photo credit: Loredana Sangiuliano/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images
Hong Kong
People enjoy fireworks at Golden Bauhinia Square in Hong Kong on February 11, 2024, the second day of Lunar New Year. Hong Kong celebrated Lunar New Year with a huge fireworks show at Victoria Harbour. Photo provided by: Hou Yu/China News Service/VCG/Getty Images
Undefined
Yen Bai, Vietnam
A couple in traditional costumes dance to celebrate Vietnamese New Year, or Tet, in Yen Bai province, northern Vietnam, February 12, 2024. Photo by Nhac Nguyen/AFP/Getty Images
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bangkok, thailand
Thai and Chinese people pray for good luck with incense sticks at a Chinese temple during Lunar New Year celebrations on February 10, 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand. Photo credit: Anusak Laowilas/NurPhoto/Getty Images
madrid, spain
Women in traditional costumes celebrate the Lunar New Year parade in the Usera neighborhood of Madrid, Spain. The Chinese community celebrated the beginning of the Year of the Dragon with a traditional parade along with the Spanish people. Photo credit: Marcos del Mazo/LightRocket/Getty Images
Singapore
People watch as a pair of dragons formed by 1,500 drones rise into the sky at the Marina Bay Sands waterfront in Singapore on February 11, 2024. The show is called “The Legend of Dragon Gate” and is performed as part of the Lunar New Year celebrations. Photo credit: Suhaimi Abdullah/NurPhoto/Getty Images
Gauteng, South Africa
Children in traditional costumes celebrate the Lunar New Year and the arrival of the Year of the Dragon at the South Chinese Buddhist Temple in Bronkhorstspruit, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa, February 11, 2024. Photo by Ihsaan Haffejee/Anadolu/Getty Images
Beijing, China
People try to touch a dragon during a performance at a temple fair on February 11, 2024, on the second day of the Lunar New Year in Beijing, China. Photo by Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images
Qingdao, China
Front view of tourists enjoying colorful lanterns at the Golden Beach Beer City Lantern Fair in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China on February 11, 2024. Photo credit: Zhang Jingang/VCG/Getty Images
toronto, canada
Performers dance during the Lunar New Year celebration at Chinatown Center in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, February 11, 2024. Photo by Mike Campbell/NurPhoto/Getty Images
On February 3, 2024, NASA's Juno spacecraft made its second close approach to Io, the fifth and third largest of Jupiter's moons. Like the previous flyby on December 30, 2023, this second pass was approximately 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) away. During the twins' flyby, the spacecraft's JunoCam instrument returned stunning high-resolution images and raw data. The flyby is designed to provide new insights into how Io's volcanic engines work and whether a global magma ocean exists beneath the volcanic moon's rocky, mountainous surface. has been done.
The JunoCam instrument aboard NASA's Juno spacecraft imaged Io, the most geologically active object in the solar system, on February 3, 2024, from a distance of approximately 7,904 km (4,911 miles) . Image credit: NASA/SwRI/MSSS.
Io is the innermost of Jupiter's four Galilean moons and the fourth largest moon in the solar system.
Its diameter is about 3,630 km (2,556 miles), making it only slightly larger than our moon.
It is the only place in the solar system other than Earth that is known to have volcanoes spewing hot lava like those on Earth.
Io has over 400 active volcanoes, which are caused by tidal heating. This is the result of a gravitational tug of war between Jupiter's gravity and the small but precisely timed gravitational pulls from Europa and Ganymede.
The moon's yellow, white, orange, and red colors are produced by sulfur dioxide, frost on its surface, elemental sulfur, and various sulfur allotropes.
The volcano was first discovered on the island of Io in 1979, and since then studies using NASA's Galileo spacecraft and ground-based telescopes have shown that eruptions and lava fountains occur constantly, forming rivers and lakes of lava. Masu.
Only 13 large eruptions were observed between 1978 and 2006, in part because fewer astronomers were scanning the moon on a regular basis.
The JunoCam instrument aboard NASA's Juno spacecraft imaged Io on December 30, 2023, from a distance of approximately 5,857 km (3,639 miles). Image credit: NASA/SwRI/MSSS.
NASA's Juno spacecraft has been monitoring Io's volcanic activity from distances ranging from about 11,000 km (6,830 miles) to more than 100,000 km (62,100 miles), providing the first view of the moon's north and south poles .
On December 30, 2023, Juno came within approximately 1,500 km of Io's surface. The orbiter made her second close flyby of the Moon on February 3, 2024.
The second flyby mainly flew over Io's southern hemisphere, but previous flybys flew over Io's northern hemisphere.
Juno captured two plumes rising above Io's horizon on February 3, 2024. These plumes were emitted from two vents from one giant volcano, or from two volcanoes located close to each other. The JunoCam instrument photographed the plume from a distance of approximately 3,800 km (2,400 miles). Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / SwRI / MSSS / Andrea Luck.
“We investigate the source of Io's massive volcanic activity, whether there is a magma ocean beneath its crust, and the importance of tidal forces from Jupiter that are relentlessly squeezing this beleaguered moon. doing.”
“There are active plumes, high mountain peaks with distinct shadows, and evidence of lava lakes, some of which look like islands.”
Starting in April 2024, Juno will conduct a series of occultation experiments that will use Juno's gravity science experiments to investigate the composition of Jupiter's upper atmosphere. This provides important information about the planet's shape and internal structure.
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.”
Although water striders are small insects, they have an amazing ability to withstand the impact of raindrops that are tens of times heavier than themselves. Slow-motion video of being crushed by water reveals tricks to avoid being crushed by water, including how to ride a water jet, shoot into the air and somersault before landing. There is.
As their name suggests, water striders can be found walking along the surface of ponds, lakes, and rivers around the world. They have long legs covered in microscopic hairs that trap air and help the insect float in water.
“One day I saw them skating by the water and thought, ‘What do they do when it rains?'” andrew dickerson at the University of Tennessee. The weight of a raindrop is more than 40 times that of an adult water strider. “How do they survive? Submerged or thrown into the air?” he added.
To investigate, Dickerson and his colleagues placed several water striders in a glass aquarium filled with water, applied droplets of water, and recorded the creatures’ reactions on slow-motion video.
The researchers noticed that when raindrops hit insects on the water’s surface, the insects initially remained unharmed because of their low density. However, it was dragged into the resulting impact crater. The crater’s collapse then spewed out a stream of water that returned to the surface, taking the insects with it.
In a few cases, the researchers witnessed water striders jumping from the water jets before they returned to the surface. “It was so beautiful. You could see it do backflips out of that jet,” Dickerson says.
However, if the water strider cannot escape from the jet of water, it will be sucked back down. Luckily, their hairy, water-repellent feet allowed them to float and swim back to the surface.
“This is the equivalent of them surviving when we get hit by a car, and in some cases going through a very acrobatic journey in the process,” Dickerson said. .
These exquisite images show starlings swirling and swooping to create dramatic cloud-like flocks known as murmurs.Photographer Seiren SolcareBest known for his portraits of Björk and Paul McCartney, these are from his new photo collection.
As a child growing up in southern Denmark near the Wadden Sea, Solker was fascinated by the murmurs of starlings. Returning several years later, he witnessed large flocks of these birds being attacked by peregrine falcons. “The shapes and formations the flock created to ward off attacking birds of prey amazed me. They were beautiful and dramatic, like ink paintings or calligraphy,” he says.
Black Sun #50
Seiren Solcare
After three years of photographing the phenomenon known as the “black sun” in Denmark, he expanded the project to other parts of Europe. What is shown in the main image is Black Sun #145, photographed over Rome's Piazza Venezia from a nearby rooftop. Moving clockwise, Black Sun #50, The top photo was taken in Glastonbury, England, and the bottom photo was taken in Glastonbury, England. Black Sun #230taken early one morning on the Italian island of Sardinia, as the birds were leaving their roost.
Black Sun #230
Seiren Solcare
“I believe that patterns in nature speak to us as humans on a deep and universal level,” Solkar says. “Experiencing these pure forms creates joy and recognition. To me, they seem to form a kind of language that many people can relate to. We want to inspire a deeper connection with ourselves.”
These images are featured in his new book starlingIt is a sequel. black sun. Solkær's photo is National Nordic MuseumSeattle, through March 10.
In the deep waters surrounding Romblon Island in the Philippines, a small translucent moray eel larva spins its body into the shape of a heart. Photographer Liang Hu took this magical photo 28 meters below the water's surface during a night dive.Pictured are some of our latest winners Close-up Photographer of the Year competition.
“I was so lucky to be able to capture this moment on camera,” Fu said in a statement. “The eel stayed at that depth for less than 10 seconds before swimming down and disappearing into the darkness.”
Slime mold with an ice crown
Barry Webb | Cupoty.com
Another winning image shows a gorgeous ice cap resting on a miniature slime mold (Didymium Squamrosum) grows on the forest floor at Hodgemoor, Buckinghamshire, England. Barry Webb's shot won the top prize in the fungi and slime mold category of the competition.
Nuthatch flying between trees
Csaba Darozzi | Cupoty.com
When I looked up at the sky, I saw a nuthatch (Citta Europaea) is flying among the trees in the Hungarian forest. These small, short-tailed birds are found throughout Europe and can be identified by their long blue bills, black eye stripes, and bluish-gray upper body. To take this photo, photographer Csaba Darozzi placed her GoPro camera inside a hollow tree stump and placed a sunflower nearby to lure wildlife.
A flycatcher catches a leafhopper
Peter Grob | Cupoty.com
Peter Grob's vivid photo shows the grasshopper, named for its extraordinary predation skills, about to lunge at an unlucky leafhopper. Mr. Grob, who works in airport security, came across the scene of a violent crime when he visited Penang Island in Malaysia.
fairy shrimp eggs
René Krekels/cupoty.com
The dazzling, colorful eggs of a female fairy shrimp can be seen in this close-up photo taken by German biologist René Krekels. This marine creature can be found in seasonal wetlands and highly saline lakes around the world, from the world's hottest deserts to the frigid climates of Antarctica. Fairy shrimp take 18 days to mature from hatching and have a lifespan of only a few months.
Cross section of European beachgrass leaves
Gerhard Vlcek/cupoty.com
Gerhard Vlczek captured a fluorescent cross-section of European beach glass (Ammophila arenaria) through a microscope. The bright orange-red tubes are vascular bundles that transport food and water through the grass and encase the green tissue. In this shot, Vlcek sliced
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.”
Ever wanted to visit another world? Mars, one of our closest celestial neighbors, is an astonishing 225 million kilometers from Earth, a distance that would take over 1,000 years to walk.
But guess what? Many things on Earth look exactly like Mars; that’s what this year’s winner of the Royal Society Publishing Photography Competition proved. Although this photo looks like a snapshot of an extraterrestrial plant, it actually shows a group of Smile mold growing in a lush garden in the UK.
But the other pictures in the collection are equally amazing. From a crystal forest to a temporary rift and jellyfish elevator, the images capture strange scientific phenomena.
Ecology Category Runner-Up – Postwar Chamois
The image shows an Alps chamois (Lupikapra Lupikapra) Licking the walls of a World War II air raid shelter in the mountains of Val Valaita in the Western Alps. Photo credit: Filippo Calgati
Micro-imaging category runner-up – Crystal lighthouse in the wild forest
The image shows microcrystals of beta-alanine and L-glutamine, showing the evolution of the crystal pattern during the crystallization process. Photo credit: Shyam Ulhas
Astronomy Category Winner – Western Veil Nebula
The Veil Nebula, a spectacular supernova remnant, discovered in the constellation Cygnus, about 10,000 to 20,000 years ago, has gained attention. The horn of the nebula in our sky is several times the size of the Moon. Photo provided by Imran Sultan
Overall Winner – Mars Landscape
The photo shows a specimen lamproderma scintillance, a microorganism that grows on the autumn leaves of Somerset, England. The slime mold exhibits a range of hues, from earthy browns to glossy bronzes to steel-blue iridescent hues of the surrounding deciduous trees. Photo credit: Irina Petrova Adamatsky
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