Hubble Hunts Visible Light Sources of X-Rays
2 min read
Hubble Hunts Visible Light Sources of X-Rays This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features the dwarf galaxy IC 776. ESA/Hubble & NASA, M. Sun
This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features the dwarf galaxy IC 776. This swirling collection of new and old stars is located in the constellation Virgo, in the Virgo galaxy cluster, 100 million light-years from Earth. Although IC 776 is a dwarf galaxy, it’s also classified as a SAB-type or ‘weakly barred’ spiral. This highly detailed Hubble view demonstrates that complexity. IC 776 has a ragged, disturbed disc that appears to spiral around the core with arcs of star-forming regions.
The image is from an observation program dedicated to the study of dwarf galaxies in the Virgo cluster that is searching for the visible light emissions from sources of X-rays in these galaxies. X-rays are often emitted by accretion discs, where material that is drawn into a compact object by gravity crashes together and forms a hot, glowing disc. The compact object can be a white dwarf or neutron star in a binary pair that is stealing material from its companion star, or it can be the supermassive black hole at the heart of a galaxy devouring material around it. Dwarf galaxies like IC 776, traveling through the Virgo cluster, experience pressure from intergalactic gas that is similar to the pressure you feel from air hitting your face when you ride a bicycle. This intergalactic gas pressure can both stimulate star formation and feed the central black hole in a galaxy. As more material swirls down toward the black hole, it creates an energetic accretion disc, hot enough to emit X-rays.
While Hubble is not able to see X-rays, it can coordinate with X-ray telescopes such as NASA’s Chandra X-Ray Observatory, revealing the sources of this radiation in high resolution using visible light. Dwarf galaxies are very important to our understanding of cosmology and the evolution of galaxies. As with many areas of astronomy, the ability to examine these galaxies across the electromagnetic spectrum is critical to their study.
Text Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)
Download this image
Media Contact:
Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov
- Astrophysics
- Astrophysics Division
- Galaxies
- Hubble Space Telescope
- Missions
- Spiral Galaxies
- The Universe
Chandra Spacecraft and Instruments
Never mind little green men: life on other planets might be purple
Nature, Published online: 02 May 2024; doi:10.1038/d41586-024-01261-8
Bacteria that make food using a compound other than chlorophyll could paint other planets in a wide range of colours.Dark energy is tearing the Universe apart. What if the force is weakening?
Nature, Published online: 03 May 2024; doi:10.1038/d41586-024-01273-4
The first set of results from a pioneering cosmic-mapping project hints that the repulsive force known as dark energy has changed over 11 billion years, which would alter ideas about how the Universe has evolved and what its future will be.The shift to LED lighting is stopping us from seeing our night skies
Mysterious space signals may come from a dead star with a planet
China is sending its Chang’e 6 spacecraft to the far side of the moon
Looking for tsunami clues in the skies above Paranal with OASIS
As part of a collaboration between the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and ESO, the Observations of Airglow with Spectrometer and Imager Systems (OASIS) project has officially joined the ranks of ESO’s Paranal Observatory. Best known for hosting world-leading astronomical observatories, like ESO’s Very Large Telescope, Paranal also happens to be ideally suited for certain atmospheric observations. Operated by DLR and hosted by ESO, OASIS aims to show that monitoring “airglow” in our atmosphere has potential to provide early warnings for tsunamis.
Tsunamis, giant waves caused mostly by earthquakes under the sea, are a destructive force of nature that can result in a significant loss of life and damage to infrastructure. OASIS aims to show that it is possible to mitigate some of the impacts of these natural hazards by monitoring our atmosphere. Earthquakes generate sound waves that travel upwards through the atmosphere. These perturbations affect the so-called airglow or nightglow — the natural emission of molecules high up in the atmosphere. OASIS will monitor this airglow, specifically the emission from hydroxyl molecules at a height of around 86 km, which could eventually be used to issue tsunami early warnings.
Paranal is uniquely suited to observing the atmosphere due to its special environmental and climate conditions. Chile’s Atacama Desert, where Paranal is located, boasts a uniquely dry climate ideal for both astronomical and atmospheric observations. Chile is also close to two tectonic plate boundaries that often produce strong earthquakes, including some that generate tsunamis.
As a side effect of monitoring airglow on a given night, OASIS also has the potential to benefit its neighbouring telescopes. Airglow appears as a dim glow that prevents the night sky from being entirely dark, which can affect observations from ground-based telescopes. While methods exist to account for it, airglow is a complex and constantly changing phenomenon. The regular airglow monitoring data OASIS will collect could be used to help forecast the airglow brightness on a given night, with potential to eventually help ESO better account for airglow in astronomical observations and optimise the use of telescope time.
The inauguration of OASIS took place late last week, more than a year after the first test observations were obtained by OASIS instruments. As part of the inauguration event, DLR and ESO staff came together at Paranal for general presentations on the project followed by a roundtable discussion on cooperation opportunities.
What China’s mission to collect rocks from the far side could reveal about the Moon
Nature, Published online: 30 April 2024; doi:10.1038/d41586-024-01056-x
The Chang’e-6 mission aims to land in the Moon’s oldest and largest crater, collect rocks, and bring them back to Earth.The Horse’s Mane
This image of part of the Horsehead Nebula, captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and released on April 29, 2024, shows the nebula in a whole new light, capturing the region’s complexity with unprecedented spatial resolution. Located roughly 1,300 light-years away, the nebula formed from a collapsing interstellar cloud of material, and glows because it is illuminated by a nearby hot star. The gas clouds surrounding the Horsehead have already dissipated, but the jutting pillar is made of thick clumps of material and therefore is harder to erode. Astronomers estimate that the Horsehead has about 5 million years left before it too disintegrates.
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, K. Misselt (University of Arizona) and A. Abergel (IAS/University Paris-Saclay, CNRS)
UN Women Executive Director Visits ESO in Chile and Reinforces STEM Collaboration
On Monday, April 29th, a delegation from UN Women, an organisation dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women, visited the European Southern Observatory (ESO) offices in Santiago, Chile, to further advance the inclusion of women in astronomical observatories and Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.
The delegation, headed by Sima Sami Bahous, UN Women's Executive Director, and María Noel Vaeza, UN Women's Regional Director for the Americas and the Caribbean, was received by Bárbara Nuñez, ESO Regional Relations Officer and Luis Chavarría, ESO Representative in Chile. Bahous also met virtually with Xavier Barcons, ESO Director General, and part of the team of the Chilean Non-Governmental Organisation Ingeniosas, which promotes and supports the inclusion of young girls into STEM fields.
During the meeting, the delegations discussed the outcomes of the Memorandum of Understanding between ESO and UN Women, signed in 2020 and renewed earlier this year. This collaboration aims to promote science and engineering among girls and adolescents, empower marginalised women in Chile through training and education, and advocate for adopting and implementing the Women Empowerment Principles.
In 2021, ESO and UN Women launched a training program focused on telescope optical maintenance for professional astronomical observatories, targeting women in the Antofagasta Region. This initiative enhanced women's technical skills and increased job opportunities in traditionally male-dominated fields. Following a selection process, three participants were hired by ESO through the LINKES contractor and are now employed in operations at ESO’s Paranal Observatory.
Over the next three years, ESO and UN Women will replicate this successful program with young girls and women from Antofagasta technical schools, focusing on underprivileged communities. Additionally, they will collaborate with educational institutions and students to encourage women to pursue educational and employment opportunities in STEM while also working to eliminate gender stereotypes.
Hubble Spots a Magnificent Barred Galaxy
The magnificent central bar of NGC 2217 (also known as AM 0619-271) shines bright in the constellation of Canis Major (The Greater Dog), in this image taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. Roughly 65 million light-years from Earth, this barred spiral galaxy is a similar size to our Milky Way at 100,000 light-years across. Many stars are concentrated in its central region forming the luminous bar, surrounded by a set of tightly wound spiral arms.
The central bar in these types of galaxies plays an important role in their evolution, helping to funnel gas from the disk into the middle of the galaxy. The transported gas and dust are then either formed into new stars or fed to the supermassive black hole at the galaxy’s center. Weighing from a few hundred to over a billion times the mass of our Sun, supermassive black holes are present in almost all large galaxies.
This image was colorized with data from the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS).
Text credit: European Space Agency (ESA)
Media Contact:
Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov
Asteroid that broke up over Berlin was fastest-spinning one ever seen
China set to fetch first rocks from mysterious lunar far side
Japan comes face to face with its own space junk
Chilean Science Minister visits ESO Headquarters
Today, Aisén Etcheverry, the Chilean Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation, accompanied by Gonzalo Arenas, the Ministry’s Head of International Relations and Maria Soledad Morales, Chilean Consul to Bavaria and Baden-Wütternberg visited the ESO Headquarters in Garching bei München, Germany. The visit, the first of a Chilean science minister to ESO’s facilities in Germany, provided an opportunity to further strengthen ties between ESO and Chile. The close collaborative relationship between ESO and Chile goes back over 60 years and has allowed the organisation to operate its telescopes at unique observing sites in Chile, while generating business opportunities and contributing to the development of Chilean astronomy.
The visitors were hosted by ESO Director General, Xavier Barcons, and ESO’s Head of the Executive Office of the Director General & Head of Legal and Institutional Affairs, Laura Comendador Frutos. Following an opening presentation about ESO’s value chain and its societal impact by Barcons, ESO staff gave presentations on topics including technology development, opportunities for industry and science data management at ESO. The Chile delegation later had exchanges with several ESO staff members, including the Chilean staff working at the ESO Headquarters.
After the presentations, Minister Etcheverry and her delegation were given a tour of the facilities at the Garching site, including a stop at ESO’s Large Integration Hall. This is where some telescope components, including those for the upcoming ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope, are prepared and tested.
ESO Director General Xavier Barcons said: "Chile has been a partner and host state to ESO for over 60 years, and we are very honoured to welcome Science Minister Etcheverry to our headquarters in Garching. This visit is an exciting opportunity to explore ways to strengthen our international collaboration, for the benefit of both ESO and Chile."
Minister Aisén Etcheverry said: "Chile is renowned as the global astronomical capital, and behind the remarkable scientific discoveries lies a tremendous amount of engineering, electronics, and digital technologies development that numerous Chilean men and women contribute to. To gain deeper insights into these experiences and prepare for a future joint industry day, we visited the ESO headquarters in Garching to acquire firsthand knowledge of the cutting-edge technological advancements that will undoubtedly hold immense interest for the Chilean industry."
China's Moon atlas is the most detailed ever made
Nature, Published online: 25 April 2024; doi:10.1038/d41586-024-01223-0
The Geologic Atlas of the Lunar Globe doubles the resolution of Apollo-era maps and will support the space ambitions of China and other countries.Birthplace of red asteroid Kamo‘oalewa pinned to specific moon crater
Supermassive black holes may provide a nursery for mini ones to grow
Sols 4166-4167: A Garden Full of Rocks
3 min read
Sols 4166-4167: A Garden Full of Rocks This image was taken by Left Navigation Camera onboard NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 4164 (2024-04-23 16:43:09 UTC). NASA/JPL-CaltechEarth planning date: Wednesday April 24, 2024
Here on Earth (in Toronto, specifically), it’s a very typical April which can’t quite make up its mind about whether or not it wants to be spring. On Mars (in Gale Crater), we’re well into spring, and Curiosity is enjoying the (relatively) warmer weather. As the days get longer and the weather gets warmer, I find myself with lots of energy, itching to get outside and play in my garden. Curiosity seems to feel similar – we’ve been flush with power recently, and today’s touch-and-go plan is no exception. This means lots of opportunity for Curiosity to play in its own kind of garden – albeit one a bit less green than my own.
The first sol of the plan starts with contact science on ‘Twin Peaks,’ which is a small, darker block on top of a lighter block (which you can see the edge of in the image above). This is followed by a two hour long science block packed full of ChemCam and Mastcam observations. ChemCam is starting up close with LIBS on ‘Gilber Lake’ (in the centre of the image above) followed by two long distance mosaics of our long-time companions, the upper Gediz Vallis Ridge and Kukenan. Mastcam has its own mosaic of Pinnacle Ridge and then turns its sights to two closer blocks – ‘Hawk’s Head Notch’ and ‘Cleaver Notch.’ We’re then back for more contact science – this time with MAHLI – before driving on towards Pinnacle Ridge. It’s a geology-heavy sol, but the atmosphere and environment science theme group (ENV) will sneak in to take a tau measurement at the end of the sol to keep an eye on the changing atmospheric dust.
As is often the case in these kinds of plans, the second sol is a bit more sedate, but Curiosity will still manage to squeeze in nearly an hour and a half of science. Most of this is given over to environmental monitoring. Because we don’t need to be in a certain location to check out dust and clouds, we can let the geology and minerology science theme group (GEO) have their fun before the drive and save our observations for the ‘untargeted’ portion of the plan. On the dusty side of things, we have another tau as well as a line of sight scan towards the crater rim. A long dust devil movie will look out for dust lifting in the middle distance, and a deck monitoring observation will check out how dust grains on the rover’s deck might have moved. We’re also looking north above the horizon for clouds. GEO isn’t entirely left out of this sol though – they’ll wrap up the plan with a ChemCam AEGIS observation.
Written by Alex Innanen, Atmospheric Scientist at York University
Share Details Last Updated Apr 24, 2024 Related Terms Explore More 2 min read Sols 4164-4165: What’s Around the Ridge-bend?Article
1 day ago 2 min read Sols 4161-4163: Double Contact Science
Article
2 days ago 5 min read Why is Methane Seeping on Mars? NASA Scientists Have New Ideas
Article
2 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Mars
Mars Exploration Science Goals
A magnetar giant flare in the nearby starburst galaxy M82
Nature, Published online: 24 April 2024; doi:10.1038/s41586-024-07285-4
We report observations of GRB 231115A, positionally coincident with the starburst galaxy M82, that unambiguously qualify this burst as a giant flare from a magnetar, which is a rare explosive event releasing gamma rays.