Serpens Nebula North: Aligned Protostellar Outflows | James Webb Space Telescope

Serpens Nebula North: Aligned Protostellar Outflows | James Webb Space Telescope

This image from the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope shows a portion of the Serpens Nebula where astronomers have discovered a grouping of aligned protostellar outflows. The jets are represented by bright clumpy streaks that appear red. These are shock waves from the jet hitting surrounding gas and dust. Here, the red color represents the presence of molecular hydrogen and carbon monoxide.

Typically these objects have a variety of orientations within one region. Here, however, they are all slanted in the same direction, to the same degree, like sleet pouring down during a storm. Researchers say the discovery of these aligned objects, made possible only by Webb’s exquisite spatial resolution and sensitivity at near-infrared wavelengths, is providing information about the fundamentals of how stars are born.

Image Description: A portion of the young star-forming region known as the Serpens Nebula. It is filled with wispy orange and red layers of gas and dust and within that orange dust are several small red plumes of gas that extend from the top left to the bottom right, at the same angle. There are wispy blue filaments of gas in the bottom right corner of the image. Small points of light are sprinkled across the field. The brightest sources in the field have the eight-pointed diffraction spikes that are characteristic of the James Webb Space Telescope.

Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, K. Pontoppidan (NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory), J. Green (Space Telescope Science Institute)

Release Date: June 20, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #Nebula #SerpensNebula #Stars #Jets #ProtostellarOutflows #Serpens #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #JamesWebb #SpaceTelescope #JWST #Infrared #UnfoldTheUniverse #ESA #CSA #GSFC #STSc #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Zooming to The Serpens Nebula | James Webb Space Telescope

Zooming to The Serpens Nebula | James Webb Space Telescope

This zoom-in video shows the relative location of the Serpens Nebula in the sky. It begins with a ground-based photo by the late astrophotographer Akira Fujii, then transitions into a plate from the Digitized Sky Survey. Next, an image from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope appears, and finally the video arrives at the image of Serpens from the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope.

For the first time, a phenomenon astronomers have long hoped to image directly has been captured by James Webb Space Telescope’s Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam). In this image of the Serpens Nebula, the discovery lies in the northern area of this young, nearby star-forming region.

Astronomers have found an intriguing group of protostellar outflows, formed when jets of gas spewing from newborn stars collide with nearby gas and dust at high speeds. Typically these objects have a variety of orientations within one region. Here, however, they are all slanted in the same direction, to the same degree, like sleet pouring down during a storm.

The discovery of these aligned objects, made possible only by Webb’s exquisite spatial resolution and sensitivity at near-infrared wavelengths, is providing information about the fundamentals of how stars are born.

The Serpens Nebula, located 1,300 light-years from Earth, is home to a particularly dense cluster of newly forming stars (about 100,000 years old), where a number will eventually grow to the mass of our Sun. Webb’s image of this nebula revealed a grouping of aligned protostellar outflows (seen in the top left). The jets are identified by bright clumpy streaks that appear red. These are shock waves caused when the jet hits the surrounding gas and dust.

Throughout this image filaments and wisps of distinct hues represent reflected starlight from still-forming protostars within the cloud. There is dust in front of that reflection and it appears here in an orange, diffuse shade.

Video Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, A. Pagan (STScI)  

Acknowledgement: Akira Fujii, Digitized Sky Survey, Spitzer Space Telescope

Duration: 33 seconds

Release Date: June 20, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #Nebula #SerpensNebula #Stars #Jets #ProtostellarOutflows #Serpens #Constellation #Universe #JamesWebb #SpaceTelescope #JWST #Infrared #UnfoldTheUniverse #ESA #CSA #GSFC #STSc #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Panning across The Serpens Nebula | James Webb Space Telescope

Panning across The Serpens Nebula | James Webb Space Telescope

For the first time, a phenomenon astronomers have long hoped to image directly has been captured by the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope’s Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam). In this image of the Serpens Nebula, the discovery lies in the northern area of this young, nearby star-forming region.

Astronomers have found an intriguing group of protostellar outflows, formed when jets of gas spewing from newborn stars collide with nearby gas and dust at high speeds. Typically these objects have a variety of orientations within one region. Here, however, they are all slanted in the same direction, to the same degree, like sleet pouring down during a storm.

The discovery of these aligned objects, made possible only by Webb’s exquisite spatial resolution and sensitivity at near-infrared wavelengths, is providing information about the fundamentals of how stars are born.

The Serpens Nebula, located 1,300 light-years from Earth, is home to a particularly dense cluster of newly forming stars (about 100,000 years old), where a number will eventually grow to the mass of our Sun. Webb’s image of this nebula revealed a grouping of aligned protostellar outflows (seen in the top left). The jets are identified by bright clumpy streaks that appear red. These are shock waves caused when the jet hits the surrounding gas and dust.

Throughout this image filaments and wisps of distinct hues represent reflected starlight from still-forming protostars within the cloud. There is dust in front of that reflection and it appears here in an orange, diffuse shade.

Image Description: A young star-forming region is filled with wispy orange, red, and blue layers of gas and dust. The upper left corner of the image is filled with mostly orange dust and within that orange dust are several small red plumes of gas that extend from the top left to the bottom right, at the same angle. The center of the image is filled with mostly blue gas. At the center, there is one particularly bright star that has an hourglass shadow above and below it. To the right of that is what looks like a vertical eye-shaped crevice with a bright star at the center. The gas to the right of the crevice is a darker orange.

Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, K. Pontoppidan (NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory), J. Green (Space Telescope Science Institute)

Duration: 30 seconds

Release Date: June 20, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #Nebula #SerpensNebula #Stars #Jets #ProtostellarOutflows #Serpens #Constellation #Universe #JamesWebb #SpaceTelescope #JWST #Infrared #UnfoldTheUniverse #ESA #CSA #GSFC #STSc #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The Center of The Serpens Nebula | James Webb Space Telescope

The Center of The Serpens Nebula | James Webb Space Telescope

For the first time, a phenomenon astronomers have long hoped to image directly has been captured by the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope’s Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam). In this image of the Serpens Nebula, the discovery lies in the northern area of this young, nearby star-forming region.

Astronomers have found an intriguing group of protostellar outflows, formed when jets of gas spewing from newborn stars collide with nearby gas and dust at high speeds. Typically these objects have a variety of orientations within one region. Here, however, they are all slanted in the same direction, to the same degree, like sleet pouring down during a storm.

The discovery of these aligned objects, made possible only by Webb’s exquisite spatial resolution and sensitivity at near-infrared wavelengths, is providing information about the fundamentals of how stars are born.

This image shows the center of the Serpens Nebula as seen by the Webb Space Telescope’s Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam). The Serpens Nebula, located 1,300 light-years from Earth, is home to a particularly dense cluster of newly forming stars (about 100,000 years old), where a number will eventually grow to the mass of our Sun. Webb’s image of this nebula revealed a grouping of aligned protostellar outflows (seen in the top left). The jets are identified by bright clumpy streaks that appear red. These are shock waves caused when the jet hits the surrounding gas and dust.

Throughout this image filaments and wisps of distinct hues represent reflected starlight from still-forming protostars within the cloud. There is dust in front of that reflection and it appears here in an orange, diffuse shade.

Image Description: A young star-forming region is filled with wispy orange, red, and blue layers of gas and dust. The upper left corner of the image is filled with mostly orange dust and within that orange dust are several small red plumes of gas that extend from the top left to the bottom right, at the same angle. The center of the image is filled with mostly blue gas. At the center, there is one particularly bright star that has an hourglass shadow above and below it. To the right of that is what looks like a vertical eye-shaped crevice with a bright star at the center. The gas to the right of the crevice is a darker orange.

Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, K. Pontoppidan (NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory), J. Green (Space Telescope Science Institute)

Release Date: June 20, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #Nebula #SerpensNebula #Stars #Jets #ProtostellarOutflows #Serpens #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #JamesWebb #SpaceTelescope #JWST #Infrared #UnfoldTheUniverse #ESA #CSA #GSFC #STSc #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Fun Facts about The Night Sky | NASA STEM

Fun Facts about The Night Sky | NASA STEM

How far away is the Moon? How much do the stars move in an hour? What’s the tipoff that you’re looking at a star and not a planet? This brief tour of fascinating fun facts about the night sky with NASA skywatching expert Preston Dyches will share answers to these and other questions. Bring your curiosity and leave with wisdom you can share with friends or family next time you’re gazing at the night sky together. 

This was recorded on June 13, 2024. 

NASA's Night Sky Network:

https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching/night-sky-network/

Skywatching resources from NASA:     https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching

"We’re launching STEM Engagement to new heights with learning resources that connect teachers, students, parents and caregivers to the inspiring work at NASA. Join us as we apply science, technology, engineering and mathematics to explore space, improve aeronautics, examine Earth and strive to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon with the Artemis program."

Video Credit: NASA STEM

Duration: 27 minutes

Release Date: June 18, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Skywatching #Earth #Moon #Planets #Stars #MilkyWayGalaxy #JPL #Caltech #Skywatching #UnitedStates #Canada #Mexico #NorthernHemisphere #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Remote Island Tristan da Cunha | International Space Station & Landsat 9 Images

Remote Island Tristan da Cunha | International Space Station & Landsat 9 Images

Expedition 56 image of Tristan da Cunha island from the International Space Station

Landsat 9 Image of Tristan da Cunha island (labeled)

Landsat 9 Image | From left to right: Inaccessible Island, Nightingale Island, & Tristan da Cunha (upper right-hand corner)

Life finds ways to survive on this small volcanic island chain that is way off the beaten path . . .

Tristan da Cunha, often said to be the most remote inhabited island in the world, is the sort of place where seabirds outnumber people. It is part of an island group in the South Atlantic Ocean situated approximately halfway between the southern tips of South America and Africa. Neighboring volcanic peaks within the group include the smaller, uninhabited Inaccessible Island and the Nightingale Islands.

The OLI-2 (Operational Land Imager-2) on Landsat 9 captured its image of the island group on May 24, 2023. Tristan da Cunha’s highest point, Queen Mary’s Peak, reaches 2,060 meters (6,760 feet) above sea level and displays steep gullies that radiate downward on all sides.

The island’s vegetation is divided into distinct zones related to elevation. Large tussock-forming grasses once covered the island’s coastal fringes, but most of this has become pasture, according to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Woodlands of Phylica arborea, known as island cape myrtle, cover the volcano’s lower slopes (dark green) and transition into ecosystems that include tree ferns, sphagnum moss, small grasses, bryophytes, and lichens on its upper reaches (light green).

Offshore, underwater forests of giant kelp surround the islands. The kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera, is one of the fastest-growing seaweeds on the planet. Though suspended sediment may be discoloring the water in some areas, signs of kelp forests (green) are visible in several areas immediately offshore. In preparation for an ecological survey of the island’s marine ecosystems, a team of National Geographic researchers used dozens of Landsat 7 and 8 images to locate the likely locations of kelp forests and plan underwater surveys.

About 240 people live in Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, the small town on the northern edge of the island. The main occupations are fishing and farming. Many residents harvest crayfish—sold as Tristan rock lobster—and raise potatoes and livestock. Away from town, thousands of birds, including populations of northern rockhopper penguins, Atlantic yellow-nosed albatross, and broad-billed prion, nest on the small, circular island.

The number of birds might be higher if mice and rats had not found their way to the islands. Likely introduced by sailors in the 1800s, rodent populations have boomed, despite an annual rat hunting competition and holiday. The small mammals are thought to eat large numbers of bird eggs and young birds.

Ecologists have warned that an abundance of oversized mice may even be on the verge of pushing a critically endangered seabird, the Tristan albatross, to the brink of extinction on Gough Island (out of the scene to the southeast). Another notable species on Inaccessible Island is the Inaccessible Island rail, the smallest living flightless bird in the world.

All of the islands are the product of a volcanic hot spot, a type of volcanism that brings magma from deep within Earth’s mantle. Tristan da Cunha, the youngest and largest of the group, formed about 200,000 years ago. It last erupted in October 1961, forcing people on the island to evacuate. Radiometric dating techniques indicate that Nightingale is the oldest of the three main islands, with volcanic rocks ranging from 360,000 to 18 million years old. Inaccessible Island has rocks that range from 1 million to 6 million years old.

Landsat Data Access:

https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/

https://www.usgs.gov/landsat-missions/landsat-data-access

Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey

ISS Image Date: July 18, 2018

Landsat 9 Image Date: May 24, 2023

Story Credit: Adam Voiland

Release Date: June 15, 2024

#NASA #Space #Earth #EarthObservation #SouthAtlanticOcean #TristandaCunha #UnitedKingdom #UK #ISS #Expedition56 #AstronautPhotography #Satellite #Landsat #Landsat9 #USGS #GSFC #Goddard #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #JSC #UnitedStates #History #STEM #Education

The Mysteries of Irregular Galaxy UGC 8201 in Draco | Hubble

The Mysteries of Irregular Galaxy UGC 8201 in Draco | Hubble

The galaxy UGC 8201, captured here by the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope, is a dwarf irregular galaxy, so called because of its small size and chaotic structure. It lies just under 15 million light-years away from us in the constellation of Draco (the Dragon). As with most dwarf galaxies it is a member of a larger group of galaxies. In this case UCG 8201 is part of the M81 galaxy group; this group is one of the closest neighbors to the Local Group of galaxies, that contains our galaxy, the Milky Way.

UGC 8201 is at an important phase in its evolution. It recently completed a long period of star formation. This had significant impact on the entire galaxy. It lasted for several hundred million years and produced a high number of newborn bright stars. These stars can be seen in this image as the dominating light source within the galaxy. This process also changed the distribution and amount of dust and gas in between the stars in the galaxy.

Such large star formation events need extensive sources of energy to trigger them. However, compared to larger galaxies, dwarf galaxies lack such sources and they do not appear to have enough gas to produce as many new stars as they do. This raises an important unanswered question in galaxy evolution: How do relatively isolated, low-mass systems, such as dwarf galaxies, sustain star formation for extended periods of time?

Due to its relative proximity to Earth, UGC 8201 is an excellent object for research and provides an opportunity to improve our understanding of how dwarf galaxies evolve and grow.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA

Release Date: March 9, 2015

#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Galaxies #Galaxy #UGC8201 #IrregularGalaxy #DwarfGalaxy #M81GalaxyGroup #Draco #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #SpaceTelescope #ESA #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

China Chang'e-6 Moon Science Mission: Far Side & NASA Lunar Orbiter Images

China Chang'e-6 Moon Science Mission: Far Side & NASA Lunar Orbiter Images

Chang'e-6 Far Side South Pole Image

Chang'e-6 Far Side South Pole Image

The coordinates of the Chang'e 6 landing site are latitude 36.1 degrees south latitude, 208.3 degrees east longitude with a horizontal accuracy of plus or minus 30 meters. 

NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) image of China Chang'e-6 Moon Lander. This independently confirmed the successful landing of Chang'e-6 on the Moon's Far Side South Pole-Aitken Basin on June 2, 2024 with support from China's Queqiao-2 Lunar Relay Satellite.

NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) image of China Chang'e-6 Moon Lander on Far Side South Pole-Aitken Basin 

This before and after animation of NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) images shows the appearance of the Chang’e 6 lander. The increased brightness of the terrain surrounding the lander is due to disturbance from the lander’s engines and is similar to the blast zone seen around other lunar landers. The before image is from March 3, 2022, and the after image is from June 7, 2024.

Chang'e-6 Moon Lander with Ascender on top on June 3, 2024: View from min-rover

China Chang'e-6 Moon Mission Lander Poster: Celebrating June 2, 2024 Far Side South Pole Landing

The ascender of China's Chang'e-6 probe successfully lifted off from the Moon's surface on June 4, 2024, carrying samples collected from the Moon's far side south pole—for the first time in human lunar exploration history. The Chang'e-6 probe—consisting of an orbiter, a lander, an ascender and a returner, like its predecessor Chang'e-5—was launched on May 3, 2024. After a month-long journey, Chang'e-6's lander-ascender combination touched down at the designated landing area in the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin on Sunday, June 2, 2024. The lander is on the rim of an eroded, 55-yard-diameter (about 50 meters) crater.

The SPA basin (43°±2° south latitude, 154°±4° west longitude) is a large impact crater on the far side of the Moon. At roughly 2,500 km (1,600 mi) in diameter and between 6.2 and 8.2 km (3.9–5.1 mi) deep, it is the largest, oldest, and deepest basin recognized on the Moon.

The Chang’e 6 landing site is situated toward the southern edge of the Apollo basin (about 306 miles or 492 km in diameter, centered at 36.1 degrees south latitude, 208.3 degrees east longitude). Basaltic lava erupted south of Chaffee S crater about 3.1 billion years ago and flowed downhill to the west until it encountered a local topographic high, likely related to a fault. Several wrinkle ridges in this region have deformed and raised the mare surface. The landing site sits about halfway between two of these prominent ridges. This basaltic flow also overlaps a slightly older flow (about 3.3 billion years old), visible further west, but the younger flow is distinct because it has higher iron oxide and titanium dioxide abundances.

The Chang'e-6 ascender rendezvoused and docked with the orbiter-returner combination and transferred the lunar samples to the returner on June 6, 2024. The combination is flying around the Moon, waiting for the right time to return. Near the Earth, the returner will re-enter the atmosphere carrying the lunar samples. It is scheduled to land at the Siziwang Banner landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia region around June 25, 2024.

In 2020, Chang'e-5 was the first lunar sample-return mission since the Soviet Union's Luna 24 in 1976. The mission made China the third country to return samples from the Moon after the United States and the Soviet Union.

Image Credits: CLEP-China Lunar Exploration Program/NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University

Image Dates: June 2-7, 2024

#NASA #CNSA #ESA #Space #Astronomy #Science #China #中国 #Moon #Change6 #嫦娥六号 #LunarSampleReturn #FarSide #SouthPole #Queqiao2Satellite #SpaceTechnology #SpaceExploration #SolarSystem #InternationalCooperation #France #CNES #Italy #ASI #Sweden #LRO #GSFC #UnitedStates #History #STEM #Education

Spacecraft: Orbital Nighttime | International Space Station

Spacecraft: Orbital Nighttime | International Space Station

An out-of-frame Moon creates a lens flare and illuminates the SpaceX Dragon perched atop the International Space Station. Photo taken looking out Starliner’s window.

Technical details: 1/1.3 s exposure, 2000 ISO, f1.4, 24mm lens

An aurora streams below Boeing's Starliner spacecraft docked to the forward port on the Harmony module as the International Space Station soared 266 miles above the Indian Ocean southwest of Australia.

Nine astronauts and cosmonauts are living aboard the International Space Station following the arrival of two crewmates, veteran NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on Thursday, June 6, 2024.

Follow Expedition 71 Updates: 

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 71 Crew

Station Commander: Oleg Kononenko (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia): Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin (Russia)

NASA: Tracy Dyson, Matthew Dominick, Mike Barrett, Jeanette Epps

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada. The ISS has been the most politically complex space exploration program ever undertaken.

Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)/NASA Astronaut Matthew Dominick

Image Dates: June 15 & 18, 2024

#NASA #Space #Earth #ISS #Science #Astronauts #OrbitalNight #SpaceXDragon #BoeingStarliner #CFTCrew #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceTechnology #SpaceLaboratory #Engineering #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #InternationalCooperation #Expedition71 #STEM #Education

Robots at Work: Canadarm2 & Dextre | International Space Station

Robots at Work: Canadarm2 & Dextre | International Space Station

The Canadarm2 robotic arm with Dextre, its fine-tuned robotic hand attached, extends from the International Space Station while orbiting 263 miles above the Atlantic Ocean.

Dextre, the fine-tuned robotic hand attached to the Canadarm2 robotic arm, extends from the International Space Station while orbiting 259 miles above the Pacific Ocean southwest of Baja California.

The 17-meter-long (55+ feet) Canadarm2 robotic arm, with the 3.7m (12 feet) high Dextre fine-tuned robotic hand attached is pictured here. Canadarm2 and Dextre are part of Canada's contribution to the International Space Station (ISS). Canadarm2 was extensively involved in the assembly of the orbiting laboratory.

Dextre tackles the tough or routine jobs that need to be done in the harsh environment of space. The Station's robotic assistant allows astronauts to spend more time doing scientific experiments instead of performing risky spacewalks. 

Dextre's body was designed to move in many different ways. Each of its arms has seven joints that can move up and down, go from side to side, and rotate. This large range of motion means Dextre can actually carry out more complex movements than a human arm. Each hand has a retractable motorized wrench, a camera and lights for close-up viewing, and a retractable connector to provide power, data and video connection. The robot can carefully grip delicate equipment without causing damage. For example, it can successfully manipulate small safety caps, cables and wires with minute precision—all while being controlled from Earth, hundreds of kilometers away. Dextre can can ride on the end of Canadarm2 to move from each worksite or be ferried on the Mobile Base System to work almost anywhere on the ISS. 

The robot is operated by ground control teams at the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) headquarters outside Montreal, Quebec, and at NASA.

Discover more about Canadian space robotics:

https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/iss/robotics/default.asp

The International Space Station (ISS) Program’s greatest accomplishment is as much a human achievement as it is a technological one—how best to plan, coordinate, and monitor the varied activities of the Program’s many organizations.

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the ISS. The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada. The ISS has been the most politically complex space exploration program ever undertaken.

Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Image Dates: June 9-14, 2024

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #Earth #Canada #CSA #Canadarm2 #Dextre #Robotics #Robots #Expedition71 #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #JSC #UnitedStates #Infographics #STEM #Education

Zooming to Newly Awakened Black Hole in Galaxy SDSS1335+0728 | ESO

Zooming to Newly Awakened Black Hole in Galaxy SDSS1335+0728 | ESO

This video zooms into the galaxy SDSS1335+0728. In late 2019 it suddenly started shining brighter than ever before and was classified as having an active galactic nucleus (AGN). This is the first time the awakening of a massive black hole has been observed in real time.

Images shown here were taken with different telescopes at different times. They have been blended together to create this zoom.

This research was presented in a paper entitled “SDSS1335+0728: The awakening of a ∼ 106M⊙ black hole” published in Astronomy & Astrophysics (https://aanda.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202347957).

Link: https://www.eso.org/public/archives/releases/sciencepapers/eso2409/eso2409a.pdf

Credit: ESO/L. Calçada, M. Kornmesser, N. Risinger, SDSS, Space Engine

Release Date: June 18, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Astrophysics #Galaxies #GalaxySDSS13350728 #BlackHoles #AGN #Virgo #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #VLT #ParanalObservatory #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

New Discovery: Massive Galactic Black Hole Awakening [Artist Animation] | ESO

New Discovery: Massive Galactic Black Hole Awakening [Artist Animation] | ESO

This animation shows the growing disc of material around the massive black hole at the center of the galaxy SDSS1335+0728. In late 2019 this galaxy suddenly started shining brighter than ever before and was classified as having an active galactic nucleus (AGN), powered by the central black hole feeding off the surrounding material.

This artist’s impression shows a ring of dark yellow clouds surrounding a brighter yellow region on a dark background, including an especially bright white dot at its center. Bright yellow, red, white, and blue stars dot the image.

Astronomers have used data from several space and ground-based observatories, including the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT), to track how the galaxy’s brightness has varied. In a study out today, they conclude that they are witnessing changes never seen before in a galaxy—likely the result of the sudden awakening of the massive black hole at its core.

“Imagine you’ve been observing a distant galaxy for years, and it always seemed calm and inactive,” says Paula Sánchez Sáez, an astronomer at ESO in Germany and lead author of the study accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics. 

“Suddenly, its [core] starts showing dramatic changes in brightness, unlike any typical events we've seen before.” This is what happened to SDSS1335+0728, which is now classified as having an ‘active galactic nucleus’ (AGN)—a bright compact region powered by a massive black hole—after it brightened dramatically in December 2019.

Like supernova explosions or tidal disruption events—when a star gets too close to a black hole and is torn apart—it can make galaxies suddenly light up. However, these brightness variations typically last only a few dozen or, at most, a few hundreds of days. SDSS1335+0728 is still growing brighter today, more than four years after it was first seen to ‘switch on’. Moreover, the variations detected in the galaxy, located 300 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo, are unlike any seen before, pointing astronomers towards another explanation.

Massive black holes—with masses over one hundred thousand times that of our Sun—exist at the center of most galaxies, including the Milky Way. “These giant monsters usually are sleeping and not directly visible,” explains co-author Claudio Ricci, from the Diego Portales University, also in Chile. “In the case of SDSS1335+0728, we were able to observe the awakening of the massive black hole, [which] suddenly started to feast on gas available in its surroundings, becoming very bright.”

“[This] process (...) has never been observed before,” Hernández García says. Previous studies reported inactive galaxies becoming active after several years, but this is the first time the process itself—the awakening of the black hole—has been observed in real time. Ricci, who is also affiliated with the Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Peking University, China, adds: “This is something that could happen also to our own Sgr A*, the massive black hole (...) located at the center of our galaxy," but it is unclear how likely this is to happen. 

Follow-up observations are still needed to rule out alternative explanations. Another possibility is that we are seeing an unusually slow tidal disruption event, or even a new phenomenon. If it is in fact a tidal disruption event, this would be the longest and faintest such event ever observed. “Regardless of the nature of the variations, [this galaxy] provides valuable information on how black holes grow and evolve,” Sánchez Sáez says. 

This research was presented in a paper entitled “SDSS1335+0728: The awakening of a ∼ 106M⊙ black hole” published in Astronomy & Astrophysics (https://aanda.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202347957).

Link: https://www.eso.org/public/archives/releases/sciencepapers/eso2409/eso2409a.pdf

Credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser

Release Date: June 18, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Astrophysics #Galaxies #GalaxySDSS13350728 #BlackHoles #AGN #Virgo #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #VLT #ParanalObservatory #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education #Art #Animation #Visualization #HD #Video

The Pleiades Star Cluster in Pink | NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope

The Pleiades Star Cluster in Pink | NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope

The Seven Sisters, also known as the Pleiades, seem to float on a bed of feathers in this infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Clouds of dust sweep around the stars, swaddling them in a cushiony veil.

The Pleiades, located more than 400 light-years away in the Taurus constellation, are the subject of many legends and writings. Greek mythology holds that the flock of stars was transformed into celestial doves by Zeus to save them from a pursuant Orion. The 19th-century poet Alfred Lord Tennyson described them as "glittering like a swarm of fireflies tangled in a silver braid."

This star cluster was born when dinosaurs still roamed the Earth, about one hundred million years ago. It is significantly younger than our 5-billion-year-old sun. The brightest members of the cluster, also the highest-mass stars, are known in Greek mythology as two parents, Atlas and Pleione, and their seven daughters, Alcyone, Electra, Maia, Merope, Taygeta, Celaeno and Asterope. There are thousands of additional lower-mass members, including many stars like our sun. 

This infrared image from Spitzer highlights the "tangled silver braid" mentioned in the poem by Tennyson. This spider-web like network of filaments, colored yellow, green and red in this view, is made up of dust associated with the cloud through which the cluster is traveling. The densest portion of the cloud appears in yellow and red, and the more diffuse outskirts appear in green hues. One of the parent stars, Atlas, can be seen at the bottom, while six of the sisters are visible at top.

This famous open cluster is easily visible with the naked eye.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/J. Stauffer (SSC-Caltech)

Release Date: April 12, 2007

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Stars #StarClusters #ThePleiades #SevenSisters #Messier45 #M45 #OpenStarCluster #BrownDwarfStars #Taurus #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #NASASpitzer #SpitzerSpaceTelescope #SST #Infrared #JPL #Caltech #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

The Pleiades Star Cluster in Taurus | Kitt Peak National Observatory

The Pleiades Star Cluster in Taurus | Kitt Peak National Observatory

This very bright open cluster has a large angular extent, making it a great binocular object. If you viewed this object through a large telescope, you would only see a few stars, not the entire cluster. Perhaps the most famous open cluster, this is easily visible with the naked eye. In fact, many children with great eyesight look toward this cluster and mistake it for the Little Dipper. When you view this cluster through binoculars, it does in fact look like a measuring cup.

M45, or the Pleiades, or the Seven Sisters, are all names for this cluster. In Greek mythology, the Seven Sisters were the daughters of Atlas and Pleione, and the half-sisters of Hyades. It is interesting to note that when counting the brightest stars in this cluster, most people only come up with six. Some versions of the mythology describe a missing sister, the reason why we do not see a seventh bright star is unknown.The bright blue, massive stars that make up this cluster are less than 100 million years old.

This image was taken as part of Advanced Observing Program (AOP) program at Kitt Peak Visitor Center during 2014.

Credit: KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/Tad Denton/Adam Block

Release Date: June 25, 2014

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Stars #StarClusters #ThePleiades #SevenSisters #Messier45 #M45 #OpenStarCluster #BrownDwarfStars #Taurus #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #AOP #Telescope #Optical #KittPeak #Tucson #Arizona #NOIRLab #AURA #NSF #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

The Pleiades: Closest Star Cluster to Earth | Kitt Peak National Observatory

The Pleiades: Closest Star Cluster to Earth | Kitt Peak National Observatory

This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the WIYN 0.9-meter telescope on Kitt Peak, Arizona. The Pleiades are an open cluster easily visible to the naked eye. The cluster is dominated by several hot, luminous and massive stars. The blue nebulosity surrounding the brightest stars are due to blue light from the stars scattering off of dust grains in the interstellar gas between us and the stars. The cluster is also known as the 'Seven Sisters'. The image was generated with observations in the B (blue), V (green), and I (red) filters. In this image, North is right, East is up.

The Pleiades is located approximately 440 light-years away towards the constellation of Taurus (The Bull). The cluster’s central region spans about eight light-years, with the diameter of The Pleiades as a whole estimated at 43 light-years. The Pleiades is a very prominent sight to the unaided eye during winter in the Northern Hemisphere, while in summer the cluster is best seen by observers in southern latitudes.  

Most of the cluster’s members are very young, hot blue stars formed within the last 100 million years. So far, about 1,000 stars have been confirmed. The hint of bluish nebulosity around the brightest stars originates from a cloud of interstellar gas and dust that the cluster is passing through at the moment. The tiny particles of dust scatter the blue light from the nearest stars more favorably than other colors, so the region appears to twinkle in blue. The cluster contains many brown dwarfs, or failed stars. These objects, though more massive than planets, do not possess enough mass to ignite nuclear fusion reactions in their cores and burst into life as bright stars.

Credit: NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage), Richard Cool (University of Arizona) and WIYN

Release Date: June 30, 2020

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Stars #StarClusters #ThePleiades #SevenSisters #Messier45 #M45 #OpenStarCluster #BrownDwarfStars #Taurus #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #WIYNTelescope #Optical #KittPeak #Tucson #Arizona #NOIRLab #AURA #NSF #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

The Sun: Prominences & Filaments

The Sun: Prominences & Filaments

This colorized and digitally sharpened image of the Sun is composed of frames recording emission from hydrogen atoms in the solar chromosphere on May 15, 2024. Approaching the maximum of Solar Cycle 25, a multitude of planet-dwarfing active regions and twisting, snake-like solar filaments are seen to sprawl across the surface of the active Sun. Suspended in the active regions' strong magnetic fields, the filaments of plasma lofted beyond the Sun's edge appear as bright solar prominences. The large prominences seen near 4 o'clock, and just before 9 o'clock around the solar limb are post flare loops from two powerful X-class solar flares that both occurred on that day. In fact, the 4 o'clock prominence is associated with the monster active region AR 3664 just rotating off the Sun's edge.

Image Credit & Copyright: Steen Søndergaard

Release Date: June 15, 2024

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Star #Sun #SolarProminences #SolarEruptions #SolarFilaments #Plasma #Corona #Chromosphere #SolarCycle25 #SolarMaximum #Heliophysics #Ultraviolet #SolarSystem #Astrophotography #SteenSøndergaard #Astrophotographer #STEM #Education #APoD