Category: Mysteries of Space

A new study based on observations of the James Webb Space Telescope suggests a new look at the evolution of galaxies. As part of an early program to study distant galaxies, the observatory discovered well-structured spiral galaxies at a time when they should not have formed yet, if existing models are followed.

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Jumpers were observed for the first time in such young spiral galaxies. Their presence may lead to a revision of stellar evolution, since the jumpers structurally have a strong influence on the processes of star formation and gas distribution inside galaxies.

Here is a composite image of the Rosette nebula, located about 5,000 light-years from Earth. This region of ionized hydrogen is famous for rapid star formation.

To create the image, we used:
— X—ray data (red) from NASA’s Chandra Space Observatory;

• Optical data (purple, orange, green and blue) from the Digital Sky Survey and the Kitt Peak National Observatory.

X-ray data allows us to see hundreds of young stars grouped in the center of the nebula, and more sparse clusters on the sides.

Their formation may be associated with shock waves.

The ALMA snapshot shows similar regions. They are located in a dust disk surrounding two very young stars. The colors indicate the temperature distribution: brighter shades correspond to a higher temperature.

Shock waves may help enrich the gas at the early stages of the formation of the circumstellar disk with complex organic molecules, which can later become part of the substance of newborn planets. High temperatures associated with shock waves can also affect the process of dust particles sticking together. Namely, it also depends on how early planetary nuclei can begin to form in the disk.

According to a new study, Mars’ early atmosphere was denser and richer in hydrogen than its current rarefied gas envelope saturated with carbon dioxide.

The models showed that the main gases coming out of the early magma ocean were a mixture of molecular hydrogen and water vapor. Hydrogen is the lightest element in the universe, but in a dense atmosphere it acts as a powerful greenhouse gas. The team’s calculations show that there was enough hydrogen in Mars’ early atmosphere to keep warm oceans stable on the planet’s surface for millions of years.

Reflective nebula VdB 152 at the tip of the dark nebula Barnard 175 in the frame of Francis Moreau

These cosmic ghosts are located at a distance of 1400 light-years from us in the constellation Cepheus.

It sounds magical, but most likely you inhale it every day on the way to work, during a trip to the store or corny, opening a window. Continuously, dust from meteorites, comets and other small bodies of the Solar System falls to Earth in the form of tiny particles that increase the level of sodium and iron in the atmosphere of the planet.

Scientists studying this natural phenomenon have estimated that, in total, about 60 tons of cosmic dust fall on the Earth every day.

Many world cultures have their own names of the brightest stars, and it is important for the history of culture to remember them.

However, in order to avoid ambiguity in the exchange of information on a worldwide scale, the International Astronomical Union assigns standardized names to stars. The picture shows in true colors the 25 brightest stars of the night sky that humanity is currently seeing, and their approved names are given.

The Dimorph ram took place on September 26, 2022. A few minutes after the impact, the Italian cubesat LICIACube made a close flyby of the asteroid.

The pictures he took showed that the impact knocked out a large amount of matter from the surface of the Dimorph. According to experts, during the subsequent analysis of the cubesat images, they even managed to detect the shadows cast by the fragments of the Dimorph on the surface of Didymus.

In addition, the Dimorph has acquired a bright comet-like tail stretching for thousands of kilometers. Despite the fact that several months have passed since the impact, it can still be seen on telescope images.

In 2014, photographer and amateur astronomer Matt Malloy created an incredible image of the Sun’s activity by combining a huge number of photos transmitted to Earth by NASA’s SDO Solar Dynamics Space Observatory.

To create the image, Molloy used images taken between September 1 and October 8 of the same year. The author of the composition did not specify how many photos he used in total, but it is possible to calculate:

Every second, SDO transmits a new image of the Sun to Earth. There are 86,400 seconds in a day, which means the same number of pictures were transmitted every day. In 38 days, 3,283,200 photos were received. It turns out that Molloy worked with about so many photos of our luminary.

Red giants are dying stars in advanced stages of stellar evolution that have depleted the hydrogen reserves in their cores. Astronomers have discovered new evidence that red giants experience “disruptions”—abrupt structural changes—in their inner core.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to look directly inside the star. However, a method called asteroseismology, which measures fluctuations similar to “earthquakes” in stars, can give an indirect idea of the depths of stars. “Glitches” can affect these fluctuations or the frequencies and trajectories of gravitational and sound waves passing through the bowels of the star.

As the researchers explain: “Waves propagating inside stars cause minute changes in stellar brightness, which can be detected with the help of high-precision space instruments. These waves show the conditions of the medium in which they propagate, that is, the physical properties of the stellar interiors.”

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