Latest news with #CanisMajor
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
James Webb Space Telescope Captures Stunning View Of Spiral Galaxy NGC 2283
The James Webb Space Telescope has captured imagery of spiral galaxy NGC 2283, which is located about 45 million light-years away in the constellation Canis Major. Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, A. Leroy, N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb) | edited by
The Guardian
17-03-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
Our brightest star can lead us to Orion's hunting dog
This week we will use the brightest star in the night sky to find a less than obvious constellation. Canis Major, the Great Dog, was included in Ptolemy's 2nd-century list of 48 constellations in his great work Almagest. This became the standard reference work for astronomy for a millennium, providing the basis on which the northern and equatorial skies are still divided into constellations. The Almagest also championed the idea that Earth, not the sun, was the centre of the solar system, so it was not perfect. The chart shows the view looking south-south-west from London at 2030 GMT on 17 March, although the view will be essentially the same all week. Orion's belt points to the brilliant dog star, Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. From there, the rest of the dog's shape can be traced using the fainter stars in the constellation. A dark sky will be useful for this. Canis Major, and the nearby constellation Canis Minor (not shown on the chart), are Orion's hunting dogs. From the southern hemisphere, Canis Major rides high in the sky during the evening at this time of year. Face north-west and look for it, up near the zenith.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Sparkling galaxy blazes with star formation in new James Webb Space Telescope image
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A nearby galaxy is ablaze with new stars in a dazzling new image from the James Webb Space Telescope. Located 45 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Canis Major, this barred spiral galaxy, called NGC 2283, exhibits a bright central bar of stars encircled by loosely wound, swirling arms blazing with star clusters and interstellar gas. The James Webb Space Telescope captured these tightly-knit groupings of young stars illuminating the hydrogen gas that surrounds them, which is the primary fuel source for star formation along with powerful stellar explosions, known as supernovas. "While the process of star formation converts gas into new stars, supernovae complete the cycle. The explosion of a supernova can fling gas across hundreds of light-years, enriching the star-forming clouds of the interstellar medium with elements like oxygen and sodium," ESA officials said in a statement releasing the new image. "Over time, the supernova-enriched gas is incorporated into new generations of stars, continuing the life cycle of gas and stars in galaxies across the universe." NGC 2283 is home to a Type II supernova, which is a violent explosion that occurs when a massive star collapses, signaling the end of its life. The supernova, called SN 2023AXU, was first observed on Jan. 28, 2023. This type of supernova occurs when the star nearing the end of its life is at least eight times as massive as the sun. The collapse of the star's core triggers a subsequent rebounding and explosion of material in the star's outer layers, from which new stars form. The new view of NGC 2283 was created using six images taken by the JWST's Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) on the James Webb Space Telescope over the course of 17 minutes. During this time, astronomers used different near- and mid-infrared filters to capture the galaxy's varying emissions and stellar population. The data was collected as part of a larger initiative to study the connections between stars, gas and dust in nearby star-forming galaxies. "NGC 2283 is just one of the 55 galaxies in the local universe examined by Webb for this programme," ESA officials said in the statement. "All of the galaxies surveyed in this programme are massive star-forming galaxies close enough for individual star clusters and gas clouds to be visible." Related Stories: — 'It's extremely worrisome.' NASA's James Webb Space Telescope faces potential 20% budget cut just 4 years after launch — James Webb Space Telescope reveals how a cosmic 'Phoenix' cools off to birth stars — James Webb Space Telescope discovers one of the earliest 'truly gargantuan' supernovas ever seen The new JWST image captures an up-close, face-on view of NGC 2283, highlighting its intricate spiral arms and dense regions of hot gas and dust, which emit varying colors of red, orange and yellow. The color differentiation is based on the type of particles present. For example, sooty molecules, called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, emit infrared radiation that acts as a beacon of active star forming regions across the universe. Observing these molecules lends insight on the chemistry and physical conditions of stellar nurseries like NGC 2283. The telescope also captured a number of large, bright stars with prominent diffraction spikes. These stars are actually located in our own Milky Way galaxy and lie between the telescope's line of sight and NGC 2283.
The Guardian
17-02-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
Starwatch: How to find the often overlooked constellation Monoceros
This week, we track down a faint and often overlooked constellation. Monoceros, the unicorn, spans the celestial equator, which makes it visible from most parts of the world. It often goes unnoticed, however, because it is surrounded by much more prominent constellations such as Orion, Canis Major, Canis Minor, and Gemini. The chart shows the view looking south-south-east from London at 20.00 GMT on 17 February, although the view will remain essentially the same all week. Because none of the stars in Monoceros will stand out, the easiest way to zero in on the unicorn is by identifying the brightest stars in the surrounding constellations. First, find Sirius in Canis Major. This is the brightest star in the night sky. From there proceed anti-clockwise to Rigel in Orion, then Betelgeuse. Hop across to Procyon in Canis Minor and you will have virtually encircled Monoceros. To properly see the stars in Monoceros will require a dark sky, well away from street lights. It is so faint, that it was not recognised by the astronomers of classical antiquity. Instead, it was introduced in 1612 by the astronomer Petrus Plancius, although some texts suggest that it could date back to the mid-16th century.
