#astronomical_observations

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Euclid Space Telescope continues to be plagued by technical problems Euclid's problems began when its guidance system failed to observe dim stars. The Euclid Fine (FGS) is a device that helps orient the telescope. Under normal conditions, FGS records known stars to determine where the telescope is pointing. Engineers extensively tested the FGS before launch, but real-world space conditions are difficult to simulate—ground tests don't always account for factors such as cosmic rays that interfere with the device's performance. [caption id="attachment_60436" align="aligncenter" width="780"] Euclid Space Telescope[/caption] To resolve a fault in the system, the Euclid mission was extended to develop a software update to correct the problem, and ESA is optimistic about the outcome of the problem. However, this is not all the problems that Euclid has encountered. One of the instruments caught strange streaks of light from time to time. The ESA command center soon determined that the Sun was to blame. Euclid Space Telescope continues to be plagued by technical problems Euclid is located at the L2 Lagrange point, sharing this space with NASA's James Webb Telescope. Here, “behind the Earth,” the Sun is behind the telescope, and the telescope is in the shadow of the Earth. To provide protection from excess radiation, the telescope has a sun shield. But the sunscreen doesn't shade everything it should. Euclid reflects a small amount of light that appears to evade the sunscreen. Euclid's visible light instrument (VIS) is sensitive enough to detect even reflected light when the instrument is turned at certain angles. In total, stray light appears in approximately 10% of VIS images. How much this will impact the success of the Euclid mission remains an open question. The European Space Agency (ESA) launched the Euclid Space Telescope from Cape Canaveral on July 1. By all accounts, the start went smoothly.

#astronomical_observations #astronomy #cosmic_survey #dark_energy #dark_matter #Euclid_Space_Telescope #space_exploration #space_research #space_science #space_technology #space_telescope

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The problem arose when one of the three gyroscopes gave incorrect readings. The team is working to fix the problem, but for now all scientific missions are suspended NASA has suspended all current science missions of the Hubble telescope due to a gyroscope malfunction. The problem arose on November 19, when the telescope went into safe mode after one of its three gyroscopes gave erroneous readings. The team quickly resumed work after fixing the problem, but the unstable gyroscope attracted attention twice, causing the telescope to go into safe mode again on November 21 and 23. After the incident on November 21, the agency was able to restore operations. However, on November 23, the telescope went into safe mode again, prompting NASA to suspend all science missions until the cause was determined. [caption id="attachment_85327" align="aligncenter" width="780"] Hubble Telescope[/caption] Hubble Telescope temporarily suspends science missions due to faulty gyroscope Gyroscopes are important components of the Hubble Telescope, helping to measure its rotation speed and determine its direction. The NASA team is actively working to determine the cause of the gyroscope malfunction. The gyroscopes were last replaced during the shuttle's fifth and final executive mission in 2009. Six gyros were replaced as part of this mission, and the faulty gyro is one of three that are still operational. Despite the need for another service mission, NASA believes Hubble will continue to make breakthrough discoveries with the James Webb Telescope for the rest of this decade, and possibly well into the next. The space agency has not released details about when it hopes to return Hubble to service once the gyroscope problem is fixed. Even if you need to turn off the faulty gyroscope, the telescope will be able to continue working, since NASA claims that for Hubble to continue moving and participate in scientific missions, one working gyroscope is enough. Hubble launched in 1990 and spent 33 years exploring our Universe, giving us iconic views of the cosmos, including a spectacular view of the Creation Pillars, which was also photographed by astrophotographers and the James Webb Telescope.

#astronomical_discoveries #astronomical_observations #astronomy #astrophysics #celestial_objects #cosmic_images #Deep_space #galaxy_observation #Hubble_images #Hubble_Space_Telescope #Hubble_Telescope #NASA #space_exploration #space_missions #space_observatory #space_research #space_science #space_technology #space_telescope #universe_exploration

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Even earlier The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) discovered the two most distant galaxies at redshifts 13.079 and 12.393. This discovery supports the Big Bang theory and further confirms the picture of galaxy formation. The discovery was made possible thanks to a gravitational lens played by the galactic cluster Abell 2744, also known as the Pandora Cluster. This cluster is located about 3.5 billion light-years away, and its gravitational field bends the structure of space-time in such a way that it “magnifies” distant galaxies. Using JWST and its ability to probe early galaxies magnified by this gravitational lens, researcher Bingjie Wang of Penn State University and her colleagues in the JWST UNCOVER program were able to discover these two galaxies with the highest redshifts. [caption id="attachment_82136" align="aligncenter" width="650"] James Webb Space[/caption] Cosmological redshift occurs due to the expansion of the Universe. The further away the galaxy, the more the universe expanded as the light from that galaxy traveled through space to reach our detectors. Galaxies that existed just 300 to 400 million years after the Big Bang emit infrared light that is invisible to the human eye but can be observed by the NIRCam camera and JWST's NIRspec spectrometer. The James Webb Space Telescope discovered two unusual distant galaxies The researchers were able to identify enlarged images of these two high-redshift galaxies - UNCOVER-z13 and UNCOVER-z12 (z indicates redshift, which is the letter used in astrophysics). UNCOVER-z13 has a redshift of 13.079, making it the second most distant galaxy known to date. We see it as it was just 330 million years after the Big Bang. The most distant confirmed galaxy, JADES-GS-z13-0, has a redshift of 13.2 JWST discovered it in 2022. The second galaxy, UNCOVER-z12, has a redshift of 12.393 and ranks fourth on the list of most distant galaxies. We see it as it was just 350 million years after the Big Bang. These two galaxies stand out because of their appearance—unlike other galaxies at comparable redshifts, they do not appear as small dots. In contrast, the UNCOVER-z12 galaxy has a disk approximately 2,000 light-years in diameter, six times larger than other galaxies observed during this period. “The two galaxies have very different properties. Their differences will be the subject of further research. We expected that these galaxies are formed from similar materials, but now we see significant differences between them,” noted Bingji Wang. Despite these differences in the properties of the galaxies, both are fully consistent with the Big Bang model, even so early in the Universe. The model explains how, after the creation of the Universe, galaxies slowly grew, merged with other galaxies and gas clouds, and actively formed stars. This growth contributed to an increase in the diversity of elements contained in young galaxies and the introduction of heavy elements - heavier than hydrogen and helium. The galaxies discovered by UNCOVER JWST are young and small, with low concentrations of heavy elements, and are actively forming stars, supporting the Big Bang theory, as noted by Joel Leja, a member of Wang's team. JWST has the ability to detect galaxies at even higher redshifts than UNCOVER-z13 and -z12. But they were not captured by the gravitational lens created by the Pandora Cluster.

#astronomical_observations #deep_space_exploration #ESA #Hubble_Space_Telescope_successor #infrared_astronomy #James_Webb_Space_Telescope #JWST #NASA #space_exploration #space_observatory #space_science #Webb_telescope_launch

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Recent studies using JWST and Earth-based telescopes reveal the presence of heavy elements in the ejecta of material from the gamma-ray burst GRB 230307A Recent observations from JWST and ground-based telescopes have confirmed the presence of heavy elements in the ejecta of material from the gamma-ray burst GRB 230307A.  Classified as a kilonova, GRB 230307A is considered the second brightest gamma-ray burst. One of the notable consequences of kilonovae is the generation of heavy elements such as tellurium, which is classified as a metalloid in the periodic table. Scientists also suggest that iodine, essential for life on Earth, may be generated by kilonova gamma-ray bursts since both elements are located next to each other on the periodic table of elements. [caption id="attachment_77016" align="aligncenter" width="780"] JWST[/caption] Tellurium is an extremely rare element on Earth, even rarer than platinum, and is used in various metal alloys, semiconductors, oil refining, and solar cell production. Although rare on Earth, tellurium has been found in planetary nebulae and ancient stars. Recent observations have also shown the presence of iodine in these space objects. JWST helped detect the presence of tellurium and iodine from the gamma-ray burst GRB 230307A Lasting 200 seconds, GRB 230307A was approximately 1000 times brighter than traditional gamma-ray bursts and is the second brightest gamma-ray burst ever detected. It was discovered in March 2023 by NASA's FERMI space telescope, and subsequent observations were made using JWST's infrared and spectroscopic instruments 29 and 61 days after the flare. Kilonovae are the result of the merger of two neutron stars and are thought to produce rare elements that are significantly heavier than iron. The brightest kilonova was discovered in 2022 and named BOAT (Brightest of all time, the brightest of all time). Observations of gamma-ray bursts have been carried out for more than 50 years, the first was recorded on July 2, 1967, and confirmation of this event came in 1969. Gamma-ray flashes are classified into short and long, with short-lasting less than two seconds and long-lasting several minutes. Scientists hope that with the use of JWST and ground-based observatories, it will be possible to detect and study even more kilonovae and expand our understanding of the synthesis of heavy elements in the Universe.

#astronomical_observations #astronomy #Cosmic_observations #James_Webb_Space_Telescope #JWST #NASA_missions #space_exploration #space_observatory #space_science #space_technology #Telescope_missions #Webb_Space_Telescope

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New work suggests active tectonics on ancient Venus and that the tectonic state of the planets may change over time A new study confirms that high levels of nitrogen and argon in Venus's atmosphere indicate emissions of gases during tectonic activity billions of years ago. This suggestion could mean that Venus may have been habitable for a long period before some event that changed its conditions. Scientists have long sought to understand why Venus's carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere is 90 times denser than Earth's and contains almost no water vapor, despite the planet's temperature being maintained at 462 degrees Celsius. However, there is a possibility that such conditions were not always like this. Previous studies modeling Venus's geological past have pointed to the possibility of a small ocean of liquid water and a habitable surface early in the first two billion years or so of the planet's early history. [caption id="attachment_77000" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Venus[/caption] Scientists from Brown University used the underlying data to compare Venus's current atmosphere with atmospheres created by a variety of models of long-term thermo-chemical-tectonic evolution. In other words, they tried to establish a correspondence between the current atmosphere of the planet and possible previous scenarios that take into account tectonic changes. “Venus’s existing atmosphere requires gases to be ejected early in its life due to activity similar to plate tectonics. Our results indicate that the atmosphere of Venus is the result of a climate-tectonic transition that lasted at least a billion years, and then transitioned to the current regime of a virtually stationary “stagnant mantle” with reduced rates of gas emissions,” the scientific team notes in their paper. . The concept of a “stagnant mantle” (Stagnant lid) means that the surface of the planet consists of a single plate with limited mobility and gas release into the atmosphere. The study of Venus has given rise to suggestions that planets can change their tectonic state and living conditions The researchers simulated the events that had to happen on the planet for it to reach the state it is in now. Scientists believe that Venus likely had active plate tectonics immediately after its formation, approximately 4.5 billion to 3.5 billion years ago. Based on the proposals in the paper, early tectonic movement, similar to that of the Earth, was limited by both the number of moving plates and the scale of their displacement. However, presumably, some events occurred on Venus that led to a stop in the tectonic movement of plates. Because this work has the potential to change our current understanding of planetary evolution, additional testing of the model's results is necessary. “Up until now, we thought that plate tectonics was in a 'binary state': it either exists or it doesn't. It either existed throughout the entire history of the planet or did not exist at all. In our work, we showed that planets can transition between different states of tectonics. "In addition, the results also indicate that there may be planets transitioning between habitable states and not just viable ones," said study co-author Alexander Evans, assistant professor of earth, environmental and planetary sciences at Brown University. In addition, this work points to the possibility of several ways to interpret the history of the planet. “At the moment, we still adhere to the paradigm where we study their surfaces to understand the history of planets. But we have demonstrated that the atmosphere may be the best tool for understanding the ancient history of planets, which is often not preserved on their surface,” Evans said. Future missions to Venus will help refine the data from this study. NASA's DAVINCI (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry and Imaging) mission will provide measurements of gases in the atmosphere of Venus. In turn, the European Space Agency's EnVision probe will probe the planet's dense atmosphere from orbit using high-resolution radar. DAVINCI is scheduled to launch in 2029 and EnVision between 2035 and 2039.

#astronomical_observations #astronomy #celestial_bodies #Inner_planets #Planetary_astronomy #Planetary_geology #planetary_science #Planetary_studies #planets #solar_system #space_discoveries #space_exploration #space_research #Venus #Venus_exploration #Venus_missions #Venus_surface #Venusian_atmosphere #Venusian_features

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New observations from the JWST space telescope have revealed several details about the surface of Ganymede, Jupiter's largest moon. Ganymede is almost a planet, except that it does not revolve around the Sun, but around Jupiter. If it revolved around the Sun instead of Jupiter, it would have the status of a planet. It has a complex structure - a molten core that creates a magnetic field, a surface layer similar to that on Earth, and an ice sheet with a hidden underwater ocean. The satellite even has an atmosphere, although its density is low. Ganymede is even larger than Mercury and approaches Mars in size. The Galileo and Juno missions, as well as telescopes on Earth, studied the chemical composition of Ganymede's surface. However, with such extensive knowledge, unknown details remain, especially regarding its surface. In a new study, a team of researchers from the United States, Europe, and Japan examined the surface of Ganymede using the JWST space telescope's NIRSpec and MIRI instruments. The main author of the study was French planetary scientist D. Bochelet-Morvan from LESIA, an observatory in Paris. [caption id="attachment_76971" align="aligncenter" width="600"] JWST space telescope[/caption] The surface of Ganymede consists of two types of relief: light icy areas with troughs and dark areas. Light areas occupy about two-thirds of the surface, and dark areas occupy the rest. Both types of landforms are ancient, but the darker areas are older and have many craters. In this case, the light relief penetrates through the dark one. The JWST space telescope studied in detail Ganymede CO2 is present on Ganymede, but it is associated with other molecules, which especially attracts the attention of scientists. Mapping the distribution of carbon dioxide will help figure out how it is bound to which molecules. There is also water ice on Ganymede, but it is amorphous. JWST carried out a mapping of ice distribution and properties. Based on the temperature range, no clear surface ice was found on Ganymede. JWST observations indicate that some CO2 is bound to water ice, but only about 1% by mass. The rest of the CO2 is found in various minerals and salts. The greatest amount of water ice is observed in the areas of Ganymede's poles, where ions from Jupiter bombard the surface of the satellite. It may also be due to a combination of micrometeorites that become embedded in the ice and ions that reactivate water vapor in non-ice-covered areas and form cleaner water ice, which JWST easily detects. In addition, scientists note differences between the poles of Ganymede and other regions of its surface. Part of these differences are due to Jupiter's strong influence on its moon. The connection between Jupiter and Ganymede can be compared to the connection between the Sun and the Earth. Just as the solar wind affects the Earth's magnetosphere, the plasma emanating from Jupiter affects Ganymede. In addition, Ganymede's magnetic field interacts with Jupiter's magnetic field, which contributes to the formation of auroras on Jupiter. The connections between Jupiter and Ganymede are complex, with some effects extending to Ganymede's surface chemistry due to the irradiation of the moon's poles by Jupiter's plasma. New research has greatly expanded our understanding of these aspects, but scientists have not yet been able to fully interpret the observations. As the authors of the study note, the results obtained will significantly help in optimizing future observations using the MAJIS spectrometer of the JUICE (JUpiter ICy Moons Explorer) mission, which will continue research on Ganymede. The mission was launched in the spring and will reach Jupiter in the summer of 2031. 

#astronomical_observations #astronomy_technology #James_Webb_Space_Telescope #JWST #NASA_missions #space_exploration #space_observation #Space_Observatories #space_science #space_telescope #telescope_technology #Webb_Space_Telescope

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The MIRI instrument on board JWST helped study one particularly interesting star system, HR 8799. The observations provided data for analyzing the chemical composition of the atmospheres of four exoplanets in this young star system When the JWST space telescope first saw the light in July 2022, it was witnessing a huge research program put together by members of the International Astronomical Union. This list included distant early galaxies, forming planets in gas and dust protoplanetary disks, as well as the end of the “dark ages of the Universe” and the first light. Among the numerous targets, exoplanets could not be absent from the list. One distant star system has particularly fascinated scientists. 15 years ago, astronomers discovered three exoplanets around the star HR 8799, located approximately 133 light years from Earth. Later, a fourth exoplanet was discovered, all planets were found by direct detection. These are massive planets with wide orbits, which is rare. Also, the HR 8799 system is attractive for observations because it belongs to young stellar systems. [caption id="attachment_76878" align="aligncenter" width="780"] HR 8799 system[/caption] That's why JWST recently observed this system. Thanks to its instruments, including the MIRI infrared instrument and the coronagraph, it was able to provide data that allowed it to study the star system in more detail. The mass of HR 8799 exceeds 1.5 solar masses, and the luminosity of this star is almost five times that of the Sun. A dust disk has formed around it, and it is a fairly young star - its age is only about 30 million years. Young solar systems are of particular interest because they reveal details about the formation of planets. A new study, authored by Anthony Bocaletti from the Observatory of Paris, was aimed at studying these details. The HR 8799 system includes four planets: HR 8799 b, c, d, and e. They are all massive giants with masses ranging from 5.7 to 9.1 Jupiter masses—the mass boundaries of brown dwarfs—objects that have characteristics between planets and stars. The planets' orbits range from 16 to 71 astronomical units, and their orbital periods range from 45 to 460 years. The fact that they were discovered 15 years ago is also significant because astronomers have an accumulated history of observations of the HR 8799 system. The discovery of massive giant planets with orbits greater than 5 astronomical units is rare. Therefore, every discovery of such systems is important. Thanks to the capabilities provided by the MIRI instrument, JWST can shed light on unknown aspects of such systems and allow scientists to more fully characterize them. Until recently, technical difficulties in mid-infrared observations have made the detailed study of the HR 8799 system challenging. JWST helped study exoplanets of the HR 8799 system [caption id="attachment_76879" align="aligncenter" width="388"] HR 8799 system[/caption] With JWST, scientists were able to refine information obtained from previous observations and gain a clearer understanding of various aspects of the system. The main focus has been on more accurately characterizing the atmospheres of exoplanets. Despite some uncertainty about their composition and the open question of whether they are brown dwarfs, the JWST observations were able to remove doubts. With planetary temperatures ranging from 900 K to 1300 K, new measurements show that the temperature of planet HR 8799 b is lower than previous measurements suggested. Also, the MIRI instrument was able to unambiguously detect the presence of two chemical compounds in the atmospheres of exoplanets: water and carbon monoxide. In addition, according to the data, scientists have controversial evidence of methane detection, which is additional evidence that these objects are planets and not brown dwarfs, since the latter always clearly exhibit methane content at such temperatures. The MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) instrument was designed with the potential to apply various filters. Some of them were specifically designed to detect ammonia, as this could be an indicator of the presence of precursors to life on exoplanets. However, data from the four planets in the HR 8799 system showed that they were slightly hotter than the temperature at which ammonia would be expected to be present. [caption id="attachment_76880" align="aligncenter" width="326"] HR 8799 system[/caption] In addition, the HR 8799 system is notable for the presence of a dust disk that has two belts. Researchers wondered whether the inner edge of the outer belt could indicate the presence of a fifth planet with a mass between Jupiter and Saturn, or whether it was simply a collection of dust. This led to a debate that was resolved by JWST observations. The researchers concluded that the inner edge of the outer belt is a background object unrelated to HR 8799. This was JWST's first opportunity to study a young exoplanet system using the MIRI instrument, its filters, and its coronagraph. JWST's MIRI instrument opens up new opportunities for high-contrast imaging in the mid-infrared and provides new avenues for the study of young exoplanetary systems. The main goal of the work was to conduct observations and test various algorithms to determine the best scenario for using the instruments and interpreting the results of future observations. The data obtained will help optimize tool settings. Due to the high sensitivity of the MIRI coronagraph, it may be difficult to study young star systems with its help. This is only the first use of the instrument, and the extreme sensitivity of the coronagraph can make detecting and interpreting observations of young systems challenging, including potential confusion due to the appearance of background galaxy data. The authors of the work note that ways for improvements have already been outlined, and their results will be useful for further improving observations and research.

#astronomical_discoveries #astronomical_observations #Exoplanet_System #extrasolar_planets #HR_8799 #planetary_science #planetary_system #space_exploration

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On October 29, the INFUSE mission launched, designed to study the formation of star systems through the study of data on supernova explosions On October 29, 2023, the INFUSE mission will launch, designed to explore the mysteries of the emergence of new star systems through the study of supernova explosions. The sounding rocket launches from the White Sands Range in New Mexico. Every year, the constellation Cygnus attracts astronomers in the northern hemisphere. A special artifact of the night sky directly above this constellation is the Veil Nebula, which has become a favorite object of observation for both amateur astronomers and scientific researchers. It is the remnant of a star whose size in the past exceeded the mass of our Sun by 20 times. About 20,000 years ago, this giant star underwent gravitational collapse, resulting in a brilliant supernova explosion. Even at a distance of 2,600 light years, the brightness of this event was sufficient that it could be observed from Earth even in daylight. [caption id="attachment_76772" align="aligncenter" width="727"] star systems[/caption] Supernova explosions are an integral part of the life cycle of a star. They eject into the surrounding space heavy elements formed in the core of the star, which subsequently becomes a source of chemical elements that exceed the mass of iron. As a result, planets, stars, and new star systems gradually form over time from the dispersed clouds of dust and gas left after the flare. The Veil Nebula provides a unique opportunity to observe a recent supernova explosion in its active stage. This huge cloud, more than 120 light years in size, continues to expand at a speed of about 1.5 million kilometers per hour. The INFUSE mission is the key to understanding the formation of star systems What astronomers detect with telescopes is not the explosion itself, but the dust and gas superheated by the shock wave and manifesting itself as a glow as it cools. To study the shock wave, Professor Brian Fleming and his team developed a telescope capable of detecting ultraviolet radiation, which has too high an energy for human vision to perceive. This light will help reveal the glow of dust and gas that has been hit by the shock waves and is still at a high temperature after the process. The INFUSE mission is an innovative spectrograph that is the first instrument of its kind to go into space. This tool combines the advantages of two techniques: optical imaging and spectroscopy. Modern optical telescopes have excellent cameras that allow them to accurately determine the direction of light and its spatial location. But they can't separate the light into its different wavelengths, and the resulting image ends up with different spectra superimposed on each other. In turn, spectroscopy divides a light beam into its components - certain spectra, similar to the division of a light beam by a prism into a rainbow. This procedure will help reveal a lot of additional information about the composition of the light source, its temperature, and the dynamics of the processes occurring. However, spectroscopy can help analyze only a narrow strip of light at a time, similar to looking at the night sky through a narrow keyhole. The INFUSE instrument creates an image and then “cuts” it—the spectrometer separates each strip into a spectrum. This data can be reconstructed into a three-dimensional "data cube" - a stack of images where each layer reveals a specific wavelength of light. Using data obtained from INFUSE, Professor Fleming and his team will be able to not only identify specific elements and their temperatures but also analyze the location of these elements along the shock wave. INFUSE will be launched into space aboard a sounding rocket. These are miniature rockets that fly into space for a few minutes to collect scientific data. The mission will launch a two-stage Black Brant 9 rocket to a peak altitude of about 240 kilometers before parachuting down to the ground for recovery. The team has already planned to upgrade the tool and relaunch. Moreover, some parts of the rocket are already being reused from the previous launch of the DEUCE mission, which took place in Australia in 2022.

#astronomical_observations #astronomy #celestial_bodies #Cosmic_bodies #cosmic_exploration #Galactic_entities #Galactic_structures #Planetary_systems #space_exploration #star_systems #Stellar_bodies #Stellar_systems

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The Hubble telescope captured the galaxy NGC 685, made up of more than 100 million stars, appearing to orbit in the depths of space The average galaxy NGC 685 contains at least 100 million stars. About 58 million light-years from Earth, galaxy NGC 685 appears to be orbiting in the depths of space. The Hubble Space Telescope image, the last of six released as part of Hubble's Galaxy Week, shows the galaxy with its spiral arms dotted with countless pockets of bright blue regions called star clusters. Closer to the center of the galaxy, there are also many twisted red wisps, representing bands of gas and dust where new generations of stars form over eons. [caption id="attachment_69171" align="aligncenter" width="598"] galaxy[/caption] NGC 685: a galaxy home to millions of stars surprised Hubble NASA's accompanying description of the photo of the galaxy NGC 685 says it is located in the constellation Eridanus, measures about 60,000 light-years, and may contain at least 100 million stars. In comparison, the Milky Way is estimated to consist of approximately 100 billion stars. Despite the difference in size and number of stars, both galaxies have an interesting feature: they have a central bar that crosses the cores of the galaxies. In this image of the galaxy NGC 685, this red-flecked bar can be seen stretching horizontally within a small circle of gas and dust. Its intense brilliance is due to the many stars concentrated in a relatively small area. Previous studies have shown that such bars are observed in about two-thirds of spiral galaxies. Gas and other material flows into the galactic cores through these bridges, indicating that the galaxy's "formative period" is over, astronomers say. Although little time has been devoted to studying NGC 685, studying bar galaxies like this one helps astronomers understand how galaxies evolve and whether the process is different for our galaxy.

#astronomical_observation #astronomy #astrophysics #celestial #Cosmic #cosmic_objects #cosmic_phenomena #cosmic_structures #galactic_center #galactic_structure #Galaxy #galaxy_classification #galaxy_formation #Space #space_exploration #star_systems #universe

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New research shows how comets could be the source of life on planets outside our solar system Scientists theorize that comets may have spread the organic ingredients necessary for the emergence of life on Earth. New research suggests that comets may also deliver these elements to exoplanets. During the formation of the solar system, the Earth was bombarded by asteroids, comets and other space objects. How the planet obtained the water and molecules necessary for life is still controversial, but comets are considered the most likely sources of these substances. [caption id="attachment_83089" align="aligncenter" width="650"] planet[/caption] But if comets could potentially bring the seeds of life to Earth, could they serve a similar function for exoplanets in other parts of the universe? To explore this question, a team of researchers from the Institute of Astronomy at the University of Cambridge developed mathematical models that helped reveal how comets could transfer similar vital elements to other planets in our galaxy. While the study's findings do not yet provide a definitive answer about the presence of life on other planets, they may help narrow the search for exoplanets that may support life. “wandering” from planet to planet, spread life throughout the Universe? “We continue to learn more about the atmospheres of exoplanets, so our goal was to find out whether there were planets where complex organic molecules could also be delivered by comets. It's possible that the molecules that enabled life on Earth were brought in by comets, and the same may be true for planets in other galaxies,” said Richard Enslow, one of the study's authors, who works at the Institute of Astronomy at the University of Cambridge. Over the past decades, scientists have learned more about the prebiotic molecules found in comets. For example, NASA's Stardust mission discovered samples of glycine, an amino acid and building block of proteins, in Comet Wild 2 (81P/Wild), and the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission discovered organic molecules in the coma of Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P). However, these organic molecules can be destroyed by strong comet impacts on the planet. So Enslow and his colleagues had to find scenarios in which a comet-planet collision occurs slowly enough to preserve the ingredients of life intact. The study, based on simulations, found that the slowest impact velocities occur in solar systems where planets are densely packed. Comets moving through such systems are slowed down by the gravitational influence of the planets. The simulations also showed that conditions for the emergence of life may be suitable on rocky planets orbiting red dwarfs. They are the most common type of star in the galaxy and are of interest to astronomers searching for exoplanets. However, planets in such systems are subject to more frequent high-speed collisions with comets and the likelihood of life appearing there is low, especially if the planets are located at significant distances from each other. “We can identify the types of systems that could be the subject of research to test different models for the origin of life. And this is another way to look at the amazing diversity of life on Earth and look for its analogues on other planets,” Anslow commented.

#astronomical_object #astronomical_observation #celestial_body #celestial_sphere #dwarf_planet #Earth #gas_giant #orbit #planet #Planetary_Exploration #Planetary_geology #planetary_motion #planetary_system #solar_system #terrestrial_planet

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Astronomers have discovered a galaxy that already had a high concentration of metals a billion years after the Big Bang. Early galaxies contain mostly hydrogen and helium, but this distant galaxy is anomalously rich in metals The universe is becoming more metallic over time: in its younger days, it was composed mostly of hydrogen and helium. But recently, researchers discovered a galaxy that was well ahead of this trend and, a billion years after the Big Bang, had accumulated a high content of metals. Almost all atoms heavier than helium originate in stars, the “forges of the cosmos,” which transform primordial materials into the many different elements we see today. These "forges" process the finite amount of hydrogen and helium in the Universe. As a result, the total supply of hydrogen decreases over time, while the proportion of heavier elements (which astronomers call "metals" regardless of their actual metallic properties) increases. When astronomers look back and observe the early stages of the universe, they expect to see mostly pure hydrogen and helium. [caption id="attachment_68900" align="aligncenter" width="780"] galaxy[/caption] This prediction is generally supported by observations, and when looking at galaxies created in the first 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang, researchers most often observe clouds of gas that contain almost no metals. However, a collaboration led by Jianhao Huyang of the University of South Carolina recently discovered a contradiction to this convention: their observations of a hazy galaxy created a billion years ago showed a metal fraction higher than predicted for such a young source by more than two orders of magnitude. Astronomers have discovered a galaxy that set the trend for a high proportion of metals before anyone else Huyang and his colleagues made this discovery by observing a distant quasar called SDSS J002526.84-014532.5, which has a redshift of 5.07. Between the Earth and this source, there is a galaxy with a redshift of 4.74. As light from a quasar passes through the diffuse gas of a galaxy on its way to our telescopes, certain wavelengths of radiation are preferentially absorbed by the molecules and atoms they encounter along the way. By measuring the relative amount of this absorption, the researchers were able to determine which elements were trying to block the path of light and how dense they were. They discovered that the galaxy contains significant amounts of carbon, oxygen, magnesium, and other heavy elements. Just 1.2 billion years after the Big Bang, this galaxy already had a greater relative amount of carbon and oxygen than our own Sun, which was born many billions of years later. Models of early galaxy formation predict a significantly lower proportion of metals, even taking into account the large uncertainties of described but not yet seen first-generation stars. Like many unexpected discoveries, the authors of the present study cannot yet explain what could lead to such a significant content of heavy elements. They acknowledge that this may be because looking at this particular direction may have passed through a patch of "developed" gas, and the galaxy as a whole may be as metal-poor as expected. However, in this case, they will not be able to explain how the light passed through such a small area with exactly the composition data obtained. It may be time to reconsider models of the chemical evolution of early galaxies, or there may be something special about this particular galaxy that remains hidden.

#astronomical_observation #astronomy #astrophysics #celestial #Cosmic #cosmic_objects #cosmic_phenomena #cosmic_structures #galactic_center #galactic_structure #Galaxy #galaxy_classification #galaxy_formation #Space #space_exploration #star_systems #universe

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The research team studied the planetary nebula's central star in the star cluster, determining that it had lost 70% of its mass over its lifetime. It also turned out that the star has an unusual chemical composition and does not contain hydrogen. Stars like our Sun end their lives as white dwarfs. Some of them are surrounded by a planetary nebula, consisting of gas ejected by a dying star just before the outburst. An international research team led by Professor Klaus Werner from the Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Tübingen studied the central star of a planetary nebula located in an open star cluster. Scientists were able to accurately determine the mass that the central star lost during its life. There are more than a thousand open star clusters in our Galaxy. Each of them includes up to several thousand stars that were formed from a dense cloud of gas and dust. “The stars in the cluster are of the same age, and this is of particular importance for astrophysics,” says Klaus Werner. They differ only in their mass. “The greater the mass of a star, the faster it consumes its nuclear fuel, burning hydrogen into helium. So the life of a large star is shorter and it turns into a white dwarf faster,” he explains. [caption id="attachment_68877" align="aligncenter" width="780"] nebula Messier 37[/caption] Observation of a star cluster shows the development of stars of different masses at the same age. “In astronomy, star clusters can be used as a kind of laboratory where we can test how correct our theories of stellar development are. One of the most uncertain aspects of the theory of stellar development is how much matter a star loses during its life. Stars like our Sun lose almost half their mass by the time they become white dwarfs. Stars eight times heavier than the Sun lose about 80% of their mass,” says the astrophysicist. The mass of white dwarfs in star clusters can be directly related to their mass at birth. Data on very young white dwarfs is especially valuable because they are the central stars of planetary nebulae. But none of their central stars in such nebulae have been studied before because they are all very distant and dim. The research team pointed one of the world's largest telescopes, the ten-meter GRANTECAN telescope, at the central star in the Messier 37 cluster and analyzed its spectrum. They were able to determine the star's mass to be 0.85 solar masses, meaning an original mass of 2.8 solar masses. How the central star of the planetary nebula Messier 37 survived the loss of 70% of its mass “The star thus lost 70% of its matter during its lifetime,” explains Werner. Another feature is its special chemical composition. There is no longer any hydrogen left on its surface. This points to an unusual event in its recent past - a short-term burst of nuclear reactions. The ability to accurately determine the start-to-end mass relationship of a star is of fundamental importance in astrophysics. It determines whether a star becomes a white dwarf, becomes a neutron star during a supernova, or becomes a black hole at the end of its life. From the ejected matter at the moment of “rebirth” of the star, new generations of stars are formed, enriched with heavy elements as products of nuclear reactions. The chemical evolution of galaxies, and ultimately the entire Universe, depends on this.

#astronomical_catalog #astronomical_observation #astronomy #celestial_objects #celestial_phenomena #Cosmic #Deep_space #deep_sky_objects. #Messier_37 #Messier_catalog #Messier_object #nebula #night_sky. #Space #star_cluster #star_cluster_catalog #star_formation

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A new release of Gaia data has revealed half a million faint stars in the globular cluster Omega Centauri. This discovery helps fill gaps in maps of the galaxy and will allow scientists to study the structure of the cluster. The European Space Agency (ESA) has unveiled new and improved data about our galaxy and outer space with the release of 5 new pieces of data collected by the Gaia space telescope. Among the mission's findings, the release identified half a million dim stars in the massive Omega Centauri cluster. The new stars discovered by Gaia inhabit one of the densest regions of the sky. The Gaia mission's previous third edition of observations provided information on more than 1.8 billion stars, providing a fairly comprehensive view of the Milky Way and beyond. However, gaps remained in the map of the galaxy. In those areas that are particularly densely “populated” with stars, the usual observing regime reached its limits, which left these areas poorly unexplored - Gaia did not notice dim stars. Globular clusters are a good example of such regions. These clusters, which are among the oldest objects in the Universe, are of particular interest to scientists who study the history of the cosmos. But their bright, star-filled cores can obscure telescopes. Thus, they remain invisible regions on maps of the Universe. [caption id="attachment_66850" align="aligncenter" width="780"] Omega Centauri[/caption] To fill the gaps in Gaia's maps, it chose Omega Centauri, the largest globular cluster visible from Earth and a good example of a "typical" cluster. Instead of focusing just on individual stars, in this survey Gaia used a special observing mode, creating 2D images using the Sky Mapper tool. New Gaia Data Release: Half a Million New Stars in Omega Centauri “In Omega Centauri, we discovered more than half a million new stars that Gaia had not seen before – and that’s just in one cluster,” says lead author Dr. Katja Weingrill, Gaia project leader at the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics in Potsdam. “The new data has allowed us to discover stars that are so close to each other that they cannot be accurately detected using the regular Gaia survey. With the new data, we will be able to study the structure of the cluster, the distribution of its constituent stars and their motion, and create a complete overview of the Omega Centauri cluster. This was using Gaia’s capabilities to their full potential,” adds co-author and member of the Gaia Collaboration, Dr. Alexey Mints. The discovery exceeds Gaia's normal capabilities, as the Sky Mapper instrument was originally intended only for calibration. The team used an observing mode designed to ensure the smooth operation of all telescope instruments. And I didn’t plan to use it for scientific research. Gaia is now exploring eight more areas using this approach, the results of which will be included in Gaia Data Release 4. The data will help astronomers better understand what's going on inside these cosmic building blocks, helping data scientists pinpoint the age of our galaxy, accurately determine its center, find out how stars change throughout their lives, clarify models of the evolution of galaxies and clarify the age of the Universe. In addition to the major discovery, the new Gaia release also reveals more than 380 possible gravitational lenses, improves the orbits of more than 150,000 asteroids within the solar system, maps the disk of the Milky Way, and characterizes the dynamics of 10,000 binary stars.

#astronomical_observation #astronomy #celestial_object #deep_sky_object. #globular_cluster #Milky_Way #Omega_Centauri #space_exploration #star_cluster #stellar_system