Direct imaging discovery of a young giant planet orbiting on Solar System scales
Three Decades of Discovery: Celebrating 30 Years of the Undergraduate Astronomy Course at Cambridge
In 2025, the University of Cambridge celebrates a significant milestone: the 30th anniversary of the undergraduate astronomy course at the Institute of Astronomy. First introduced in the Michaelmas Term of 1995, the course offers students a unique opportunity to explore the universe through rigorous academic training...
Three Decades of Discovery: Celebrating 30 Years of the Undergraduate Astronomy Course at Cambridge
In 2025, the University of Cambridge celebrates a significant milestone: the 30th anniversary of the undergraduate astronomy course at the Institute of Astronomy. First introduced in the Michaelmas Term of 1995, the course offers students a unique opportunity to explore the universe through rigorous academic training...
How to chart a moral future for space exploration
Nature, Published online: 08 July 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-02070-3
Expanding human influence in outer space will require an ethical compass that is more expansive than the one conventionally used.Stellar Duo
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope captured a bright variable star, V 372 Orionis, and its companion in this festive image in this image released on Jan. 27, 2023. The pair lie in the Orion Nebula, a colossal region of star formation roughly 1,450 light-years from Earth.
V 372 Orionis is a particular type of variable star known as an Orion Variable. These young stars experience some tempestuous moods and growing pains, which are visible to astronomers as irregular variations in luminosity. Orion Variables are often associated with diffuse nebulae, and V 372 Orionis is no exception; the patchy gas and dust of the Orion Nebula pervade this scene.
Text credit: European Space Agency (ESA)
Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, J. Bally, M. Robberto
Wed 09 Jul 13:15: Double black hole mergers in nuclear star clusters: eccentricities, spins, masses, and the growth of massive seeds
We investigate the formation of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) through hierarchical mergers of stellar-origin black holes (BHs), as well as BH mergers formed dynamically in nuclear star clusters. Using a semi-analytical approach that incorporates probabilistic, mass-function–dependent double-BH (DBH) pairing, binary–single encounters, and a mass-ratio–dependent prescription for energy dissipation in hardening binaries, we find that IMB Hs with masses of order 10²–10⁴ M⊙ can be formed solely through hierarchical mergers on timescales of a few hundred Myr to a few Gyr. Clusters with escape velocities ≳ 400 km s⁻¹ inevitably form high-mass IMB Hs. The spin distribution of IMB Hs with masses ≳ 10³ M⊙ is strongly clustered at χ ≈ 0.15, while for lower masses it peaks at χ ≈ 0.7. Eccentric mergers are more frequent for equal-mass binaries containing first- and second-generation BHs. Metal-rich, young, dense clusters can produce up to 20 of their DBH mergers with eccentricity ≥ 0.1 at 10 Hz, and ~ 2–9 of all in-cluster mergers form at > 10 Hz. Nuclear star clusters are therefore promising environments for the formation of highly eccentric DBH mergers, detectable with current gravitational-wave detectors. Clusters of extreme mass (∼ 10⁸ M⊙) and density (∼ 10⁸ M⊙ pc⁻³) can have about half of their DBH mergers with primary masses ≥ 100 M⊙. The fraction of in-cluster mergers increases rapidly with increasing escape velocity, approaching unity for Vesc ≳ 200 km s⁻¹. The cosmological DBH merger rate from nuclear clusters varies from ≲ 0.01 to 1 Gpc⁻³ yr⁻¹, where the large uncertainties stem from cluster initial conditions, number-density distributions, and the redshift evolution of nucleated galaxies.
- Speaker: Debatri Chattopadhyay
- Wednesday 09 July 2025, 13:15-13:45
- Venue: Hoyle Lecture theatre + Zoom .
- Series: Institute of Astronomy Seminars; organiser: Cristiano Longarini.
Wed 09 Jul 13:15: Double black hole mergers in nuclear star clusters: eccentricities, spins, masses, and the growth of massive seeds
We investigate the formation of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) through hierarchical mergers of stellar-origin black holes (BHs), as well as BH mergers formed dynamically in nuclear star clusters. Using a semi-analytical approach that incorporates probabilistic, mass-function–dependent double-BH (DBH) pairing, binary–single encounters, and a mass-ratio–dependent prescription for energy dissipation in hardening binaries, we find that IMB Hs with masses of order 10²–10⁴ M⊙ can be formed solely through hierarchical mergers on timescales of a few hundred Myr to a few Gyr. Clusters with escape velocities ≳ 400 km s⁻¹ inevitably form high-mass IMB Hs. The spin distribution of IMB Hs with masses ≳ 10³ M⊙ is strongly clustered at χ ≈ 0.15, while for lower masses it peaks at χ ≈ 0.7. Eccentric mergers are more frequent for equal-mass binaries containing first- and second-generation BHs. Metal-rich, young, dense clusters can produce up to 20 of their DBH mergers with eccentricity ≥ 0.1 at 10 Hz, and ~ 2–9 of all in-cluster mergers form at > 10 Hz. Nuclear star clusters are therefore promising environments for the formation of highly eccentric DBH mergers, detectable with current gravitational-wave detectors. Clusters of extreme mass (∼ 10⁸ M⊙) and density (∼ 10⁸ M⊙ pc⁻³) can have about half of their DBH mergers with primary masses ≥ 100 M⊙. The fraction of in-cluster mergers increases rapidly with increasing escape velocity, approaching unity for Vesc ≳ 200 km s⁻¹. The cosmological DBH merger rate from nuclear clusters varies from ≲ 0.01 to 1 Gpc⁻³ yr⁻¹, where the large uncertainties stem from cluster initial conditions, number-density distributions, and the redshift evolution of nucleated galaxies.
- Speaker: Debatri Chattopadhyay
- Wednesday 09 July 2025, 13:15-13:45
- Venue: Hoyle Lecture theatre + Zoom .
- Series: Institute of Astronomy Seminars; organiser: Cristiano Longarini.
Did something just hit Saturn? Astronomers are racing to find out
NASA’s Hubble and Webb Telescopes Reveal Two Faces of a Star Cluster Duo
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NASA’s Hubble and Webb Telescopes Reveal Two Faces of a Star Cluster Duo A vast network of stars, gas, and dust is strung among a duo of star clusters in this combined image from NASA’s Hubble and Webb space telescopes. Open clusters NGC 460 and NGC 456 reside in the Small Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf galaxy orbiting the Milky Way. This highly detailed 527 megapixel mosaic consists of 12 overlapping observations and includes both visible and infrared wavelengths. To view some of its incredible detail, download the 40.1 MB file and zoom in. NASA, ESA, and C. Lindberg (The Johns Hopkins University); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America)Download this image
A riotous expanse of gas, dust, and stars stake out the dazzling territory of a duo of star clusters in this combined image from NASA’s Hubble and Webb space telescopes.
Open clusters NGC 460 and NGC 456 reside in the Small Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf galaxy orbiting the Milky Way. Open clusters consist of anywhere from a few dozen to a few thousand young stars loosely bound together by gravity. These particular clusters are part of an extensive complex of star clusters and nebulae that are likely linked to one another. As clouds of gas collapse, stars are born. These young, hot stars expel intense stellar winds that shape the nebulae around them, carving out the clouds and triggering other collapses, which in turn give rise to more stars.
In these images, Hubble’s view captures the glowing, ionized gas as stellar radiation blows “bubbles” in the clouds of gas and dust (blue), while Webb’s infrared vision highlights the clumps and delicate filamentary structures of dust (red). In Hubble images, dust is often seen silhouetted against and blocking light, but in Webb’s view, the dust – warmed by starlight – shines with its own infrared glow. This mixture of gas and dust between the universe’s stars is known as the interstellar medium.
Hubble (ACS) Webb (NIRCAM)
This Hubble image shows a duo of open clusters, NGC 460 and NGC 456. The nebulae’s glowing gas, ionized by the radiation of nearby stars, is distinct in Hubble’s view. NASA, ESA, and C. Lindberg (The Johns Hopkins University); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America)
In Webb’s infrared view of open clusters NGC 460 and NGC 456, dusty areas are visible as bright structures glowing red. Many background galaxies are visible, their infrared light passing through the region’s obscuring clouds of gas and dust. NASA, ESA, and C. Lindberg (The Johns Hopkins University); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America) Hubble (ACS)Webb (NIRCAM)
This Hubble image shows a duo of open clusters, NGC 460 and NGC 456. The nebulae’s glowing gas, ionized by the radiation of nearby stars, is distinct in Hubble’s view. NASA, ESA, and C. Lindberg (The Johns Hopkins University); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America) In Webb’s infrared view of open clusters NGC 460 and NGC 456, dusty areas are visible as bright structures glowing red. Many background galaxies are visible, their infrared light passing through the region’s obscuring clouds of gas and dust. NASA, ESA, and C. Lindberg (The Johns Hopkins University); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America)
Hubble (ACS)
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Hubble and Webb view a duo of open star clusters
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Slide to switch between Hubble and Web images. Hubble’s view captures visible light and some infrared wavelengths, while Webb’s view is exclusively infrared. The nebulae’s glowing gas, ionized by the radiation of nearby stars, is distinct in Hubble’s view. Dusty areas that appear dark in the Hubble image are visible as bright structures in the Webb image, and more background galaxies are visible since infrared light from fainter and farther galaxies can pass through the obscuring clouds of gas and dust.
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The nodules visible in these images are scenes of active star formation, with stars ranging from just one to 10 million years old. In contrast, our Sun is 4.5 billion years old. The region that holds these clusters, known as the N83-84-85 complex, is home to multiple, rare O-type stars, hot and extremely massive stars that burn hydrogen like our Sun. Astronomers estimate there are only around 20,000 O-type stars among the approximately 400 billion stars in the Milky Way.
Clouds of ionized gas dominate open cluster NGC 460 in the Hubble image (left), while tendrils of dust are on display in the Webb image (right). Together, the two images provide a more comprehensive look at the region. NASA, ESA, and C. Lindberg (The Johns Hopkins University); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America) The Hubble image of NGC 456 (left) shows a puffy, bluish cloud of ionized gas, while the Webb image (right) displays the same cluster’s cavern-like outline of dust. NASA, ESA, and C. Lindberg (The Johns Hopkins University); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America)The Small Magellanic Cloud is of great interest to researchers because it is less enriched in metals than the Milky Way. Astronomers call all elements heavier than hydrogen and helium – that is, with more than two protons in the atom’s nucleus – “metals.” This state mimics conditions in the early universe, so the Small Magellanic Cloud provides a relatively nearby laboratory to explore theories about star formation and the interstellar medium at early stages of cosmic history. With these observations of NGC 460 and NGC 456, researchers intend to study how gas flows in the region converge or divide; refine the collision history between the Small Magellanic Cloud and its fellow dwarf galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud; examine how bursts of star formation occur in such gravitational interactions between galaxies; and better understand the interstellar medium.
Explore MoreHubble’s Star Clusters
Exploring the Birth of Stars
Hubble’s Nebulae
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Fri 24 Oct 11:30: Title to be confirmed
Abstract not available
- Speaker: Michele Ginolfi (Florence)
- Friday 24 October 2025, 11:30-12:30
- Venue: Ryle Seminar Room, KICC + online.
- Series: Galaxies Discussion Group; organiser: Sandro Tacchella.
The dark matter content of Milky Way dwarf spheroidal galaxies: Draco, Sextans and Ursa Minor
The dark matter content of Milky Way dwarf spheroidal galaxies: Draco, Sextans and Ursa Minor
The dark matter content of Milky Way dwarf spheroidal galaxies: Draco, Sextans and Ursa Minor
Meteorite causes rethink of how and when our solar system formed
Fri 11 Jul 11:30: Unveiling the shape of the ionizing spectrum of galaxies
Abstract not available
- Speaker: Anne Verhamme (University of Geneva)
- Friday 11 July 2025, 11:30-12:30
- Venue: Ryle Seminar Room, KICC + online.
- Series: Galaxies Discussion Group; organiser: Sandro Tacchella.
Rare find: interstellar visitor seen blazing through our Solar System
Nature, Published online: 03 July 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-02141-5
The comet-like body called either C/2025 N1 or 3I/ATLAS is now zipping past Jupiter.Hubble Observations Give “Missing” Globular Cluster Time to Shine
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Hubble Observations Give “Missing” Globular Cluster Time to Shine This NASA Hubble Space Telescope image features a dense and dazzling array of blazing stars that form globular cluster ESO 591-12. NASA, ESA, and D. Massari (INAF — Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America)Download this image
A previously unexplored globular cluster glitters with multicolored stars in this NASA Hubble Space Telescope image. Globular clusters like this one, called ESO 591-12 or Palomar 8, are spherical collections of tens of thousands to millions of stars tightly bound together by gravity. Globular clusters generally form early in the galaxies’ histories in regions rich in gas and dust. Since the stars form from the same cloud of gas as it collapses, they typically hover around the same age. Strewn across this image of ESO 591-12 are a number of red and blue stars. The colors indicate their temperatures; red stars are cooler, while the blue stars are hotter.
Hubble captured the data used to create this image of ESO 591-12 as part of a study intended to resolve individual stars of the entire globular cluster system of the Milky Way. Hubble revolutionized the study of globular clusters since earthbound telescopes are unable to distinguish individual stars in the compact clusters. The study is part of the Hubble Missing Globular Clusters Survey, which targets 34 confirmed Milky Way globular clusters that Hubble has yet to observe.
The program aims to provide complete observations of ages and distances for all of the Milky Way’s globular clusters and investigate fundamental properties of still-unexplored clusters in the galactic bulge or halo. The observations will provide key information on the early stages of our galaxy, when globular clusters formed.
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Contract signed for construction of CTAO-South roads and telescope foundations
This week, a major contract, worth several million Euros, has been signed between ESO and a consortium of Chilean companies for the construction of telescope foundations for the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory’s (CTAO’s) southern hemisphere array (CTAO-South) at ESO’s Paranal Observatory in Chile. The contract includes more than 50 foundations for CTAO-South telescopes, as well as approximately 17 km of roads connecting these foundations to the support facilities. ESO, a founding member of the CTAO European Research Infrastructure Consortium and host of its southern array, signed the contract on behalf of this international organisation. The construction of this important civil infrastructure is expected to take one year, paving the way for the first telescopes to be erected on site. Therefore, this milestone marks the beginning of the array’s construction in the southern hemisphere.
The CTAO will be the largest and most powerful ground-based observatory for gamma-ray astronomy. It is composed of two telescope arrays—CTAO-South, and CTAO-North in La Palma, Spain. One located in the southern hemisphere and the other in the northern hemisphere, both will keep a watchful eye out for an elusive form of radiation called Cherenkov radiation. When cosmic gamma rays reach the atmosphere and interact with it, they generate a cascade of ultra-energetic particles; as they move through the air, these particles create a faint blue flash of “Cherenkov light”. By analysing this faint light, astronomers can infer much about the cosmic sources, like supermassive black holes and supernova remnants, that emitted the original gamma rays.
To capture Cherenkov radiation, the CTAO-South site will consist of 51 individual telescopes of different sizes to detect both bright and faint events. The site will cover an area of about 3 square kilometres and is located about 10 kilometres away from Cerro Paranal, the home of ESO’s Very Large Telescope. Once built, the CTAO will make data and analysis software publicly available for the entire global scientific community to share, strengthening worldwide collaboration and helping to answer questions across both astronomy and particle physics, like the hunt for dark matter, the mechanics of supernovae, and how dense neutron stars collide.
The CTAO will be the first observatory of its kind, able to observe the high-energy Universe with unparalleled sensitivity. Its location near Cerro Paranal, far from light pollution sources and under one of the world’s darkest and most pristine night skies, is key to detecting the extremely faint Cherenkov blue light.
More informationIn January 2025, the CTAO was established as a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) by the European Commission. The Founding Members of the CTAO ERIC are Austria, the Czech Republic, the European Southern Observatory (ESO), France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Slovenia, and Spain. Additionally, Japan is a Strategic Partner, and the accession of Switzerland and Croatia as Founding Members is being processed.